Not What She Appears
by IfLooksCouldKill
Summary: Bulma has kept her true heritage a secret,but when Frieza sends her to Vegeta-sei as a spy;all hell breaks loose.Can she help Vegeta defeat Frieza and still keep her secrets,or will certain events cause her to place her trust in the most unlikely person?
1. Chapter 1

-1Behind Blue Eyes

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!! 00!! Anyway, this is my first fic so please, be gentle. I welcome flames, but only those of the constructive type. If you flame me and just say you hate it without giving a reason. I think you are stupid… ha! So, without further distraction…my fic.

Two years. That's how long it had been since her planets destruction at the hands of Frieza. The stupid Bastard. She remembered it like it was yesterday. The screams of pain, the stench of rotting and burning flesh, the carnage that lay before her, and the shier helplessness she felt knowing that she couldn't do a damn thing to prevent it. She, the sworn protector of her world, watched helplessly from her cage as her people were lined up in chains and loaded onto the cargo ships like cattle. Frieza's high pitched feminine laugh echoing in her furry ears. As hard as she'd fought, it had all been in vain. The scientists under Frieza had created ki dampening collars, and she was unaware of their existence until it was too late. Stupid mistake. Never underestimate your enemy. That was the lesson for the century.

She stared through the clear space of her cage; mindful not to get to close to the invisible barrier for fear of receiving a severe shocking. This was one of her least favorite parts of these trips; the waiting. The last five hours before planet-fall was spent orbiting. Frieza liked to drag out the "suspense" for as long as possible, and make sure that the inhabitants didn't have any unexpected surprises in store for him before he landed. The Bastard was a careful one, he was, Paranoid beyond comprehension. That was his main reason for having her on this God forsaken ship to begin with. She was his last resort. If any of his "subjects" decided to riot and actually succeeded in breaching the ship; it was her job to eliminate them before they disabled the ship beyond repair, or worse… blew the thing to kingdom come. God she hated this waiting game.

Bored out of her mind she began to pace back and forth in front of her enclosure. At least Frieza had given her ample space. She had a nice astro turf area equipped with a Minnie housing unit with all the necessary amenities, a pool, and a few trees. She was one of the lucky ones aboard Frieza's ship. Some of the lesser "hired help" were forced to stay in the slaves chambers which consisted of a seven by seven sq. ft. cage. Not exactly her idea of travel, but she wouldn't dwell on that. She focused her mind on more positive things; like forming an escape plan, and how to rescue her fellow Earthlings. Her thoughts, however, were cut short by the sound of boots on the cat walk heading in her direction.

'I wonder what's going on? Frieza's men usually don't venture this way unless they are in need of some servants assistance, but its too close to planet-fall for that!' She thought, her head cocking slightly to the side, the only indication of her confusion. Soon the sound of boots became clearer and she caught the disgusting aroma of a certain male she vowed to kill the next time the opportunity presented itself. She glared at the corner of the hall were, sure enough, the bane of her very existence appeared.

"Zarbon, what are you doing in this part of the ship? Frieza has given strict orders for all of his men to meet in his chambers." She growled.

Zarbon took in the girls appearance. It was painfully obvious that she wanted him dead. Her body language spoke volumes. Her lowered head, her bared teeth, her raised fur, and who could miss the deep and guttural growl coming from her pretty little muzzle. Unfortunately for her, today would not be her day. Raising his hand for her to see her growls changed from ones of anger to ones of warning. In his hand, Zarbon held the controller that determined her life and or death. The remote to her ki dampening collar.

"I have strict orders from Frieza, my pet, to take you to him. He wishes to take you with him on this particular mission. I believe he has something special planned for a certain monkey prince, and you are involved. Now be a good little Bitch and come without a fuss. We wouldn't want to singe that beautiful blue and white fur now would we?" Zarbon snorted as he placed his hand on the scanner to deactivate the electro-shield.

There was a sizzle then a fade out as the barrier deactivated, and she cautiously stepped out onto the cat walk; eyeing Zarbon warily. He was nearly six foot three, but even at that impressive a height, she still made him seem small. She stood four feet at the shoulders and was twice the length. Standing on her hind legs she dwarfed him by nearly two feet. She was the smallest of her kind, but even so she was a formidable opponent. However, Zarbon was full of tricks, and she wouldn't put it past him to trip the remote just to hear her yelp in pain.

"Shall we go then?" She stated as evenly as possible, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. The last time she attacked Zarbon out of blind rage; he nearly killed her with that horrible device.

"As you wish." And not another word was spoken between the two as they walked in tense silence all the way to the other side of the ship where Frieza waited anxiously.

Once they reached the entrance to the meeting chambers Zarbon hesitated to open the door. Her ever observant eyes locked with his in understanding. He was just as much afraid of Frieza as she was. That, and only that, did they have an agreement on. Once they both had steeled themselves for the meeting Zarbon opened the door. Her stomach dropped immediately at the sight. There was Frieza, staring down at the blood red planet below holding a chain looped in his fist. Immediately she knew what he was planning, and she didn't like it one bit.

"NO" She said with steady resolve. That was all it took for Zarbon to press the button on the remote. She immediately dropped to the floor howling and whimpering in pain; her life force slipping away slowly.

"Enough Zarbon. I want her to be at her best when we land. Come here little one. When we make planet-fall you are to do nothing aside from what I order you to do, do you understand me?" He hissed; watching her from the corner of his eye as she slowly picked herself up off the floor and made her way across the tiled floor. She halted when she was standing beside him and stared out the window at the planet below.

'I don't want to kill. Please don't make me kill anyone.' She pleaded mentally. Her heart clenched when he began to speak.

"Don't worry my child. Everything will be fine. You will not be soiling your beautiful fur today. In fact, that is one of the reasons why I am bringing you along." He laughed; while grinning sinisterly at her. She shuddered in disgust; memories of when he tried to sell her to a whore house flashing through her mind.

'Lets just hope he doesn't get any bright ideas.' She thought. Suddenly her thoughts were invaded by a robotic voice announcing their arrival on the planet.

_TWO MINUTES TO PLANET-FALL… REPEAT… TWO MINUTES TO PLANET-FALL. WELCOME TO PLANET VEGETA-SEI._

Two minutes later the ship touched down on the soft air cushions of the docking bay. Bulma watched in rapt fascination as numerous men and women with tails ran out and formed two lines with only three feet separating the two. It was as if they were making a welcome walkway, only these people weren't smiling; they were glaring. It seemed to her that these saiyajin's hated Frieza just as much as she did. At least she had one thing in common with them. That may prove useful to her in forming a plan to escape.

"BULMA" She jumped and spun around at the sound of her name from Frieza's impatient lips. Apparently she had been thinking to hard again. She rushed over to the port elevator, and took her place by Frieza. He clipped the diamond studded chain onto her ki collar and patted her head; causing her ears to flatten and her eyes to squeeze shut with every down stroke.

'Damn he pats hard...sheesh' She thought as she shook it off.

"Now, lets go have some fun, shall we." Frieza whooped, earning half- hearted responses from herself, Zarbon, and Dodoria.

"Hey, Vegeta, Wait up."

"Hurry up you clown, Frieza should be here any minute." Vegeta growled, his red, cape lashing out behind him in his rush.

"Gosh Vegeta, I just heard from Raditz' mate that he said one of the other soldiers blabbed something about Frieza having a special surprise for you." He said , worry laced in his voice.

This news stopped Vegeta dead in his tracks. He rounded on the other Saiyajin so fast he almost didn't stop in time to avoid running him down.

"What did you say, Kakkarot?" He rasped.

Scratching the back of his head in confusion Kakkarot started to repeat what he had said previously.

"Raditz mate said…" But he was interrupted

"I heard you already… sigh… lets get moving Kakkarot." And with that the two continued their trek across the palace to their docking bay. Vegeta dreading what the surprise could be. All the surly saiyajin prince knew was that any gift from Frieza came with a heavy price, and he wasn't looking forward to their little exchange.

The king stood anxiously waiting for his son and guard to arrive, and for Frieza to emerge from his ship. Luckily enough for his torn nerves the former were the first to arrive. Heave forbid Frieza emerge and the Prince not be there. There would surely be hell to pay. He then rounded on his only heir in barely suppressed rage.

"Where were you? Frieza is here, and your Ass is lucky you beat him out. What took you so long?" The king nearly roared.

Vegeta cast him a harassed look before turning his attention to the ship in front of them. The elevator was lowering.

"Training, and Kakkarot was being slow." Was the only response he could give before his attention was stolen as he watched Frieza and his two henchmen step off the landing pad and pass through the tunnel of Saiyajin's leading a beautiful blue and white furry creature by a diamond chain.

Vegeta had never seen such a magnificent creature. It resembled some creature he had seen before…what was it called again…oh yes, a wolf. He had seen one in his text books, but this one was quit different. The wolves in his books were thin, dirty, and their fur was ugly and matted. The creature before him had a thick; strong looking frame, absolutely perfect lines and was perfectly proportioned. Its fur was nice and fluffy, especially around the head and neck, and was a magnificent mixture of blues and white. It even had a unique pattern of color. (Picture wolf Link's markings from Zelda's twighligh princess) It's eyes were the brightest blue and it walked with its head held high as if it were royalty itself;. He was in awe and had the strongest desire to run his ungloved hand through its fur. His thoughts were interrupted however by the voice of his comrade.

"Wow, Vegeta you're lucky." Kakkarot gushed with excitement. "Can I play with it too?" This earned an outraged cry from Bulma, which would have ended with her ripping the idiotic Saiyajin's head off had Zarbon not cleared his throat and shook the remote at her; thus halting her attack.

"Bastard" She thought before regaining her regal posture and bored expression. She listened to what Frieza was telling the Saiyajin King and didn't like it one bit. The Prince was to train her on technique, and she was secretly told by Frieza before they arrived that she was really here as a spy. Her eyes darted to the man who was now holding her chain for a few brief minutes. She could freely look him over in her current form; for at the moment he seemed too deep in thought to notice, or care for that matter. His countenance was one of shier anxt. He must not trust Frieza, or the idea of her being forced upon him. She didn't like it, and she could only assume the feeling was mutual. Though he didn't ruffle her fur as much as most men did. Maybe they could be friends. Her tail swished lazily behind her in joy as she was reminded that three years here meant three years without Frieza. She glanced up at the man again with softer eyes.

He was handsome to say the least. He was very muscular, had a strong presence about him, and there was something in his eyes that drew her to him. Something seemed to be telling her that there was more to the man standing in front of her than his defensive stance and angry scowl. Yes, he was very intimidating, then again, she could be pretty daunting herself given the right motivation. She Stole a glance at her party. Not one of the three men were paying her mind, and the two goons were already heading back to the ship.

'Well, at least I don't have to put up with those two anymore. I get Mr. killjoy and the boulder for brains instead.' She thought as she shrugged and sat down to watch the verbal exchange between the King and Frieza; completely ignoring the conversation going on between the two men standing on either side of her.

"There has to be some reason. Frieza wouldn't hand over something this valuable just like that without a motive." Vegeta whispered while gesturing to Bulma's form.

"Your right, but what could his reason be? I mean, gee, she's really pretty and he said she was really strong and smart…" Kakkarot said whilst scratching the back of his head perplexed.

"There's something wrong with this picture, and it happens to be sitting between us. Keep and eye out Kakkarot. If I'm not with her, I want you to be. She is not to be trusted, there has to be a catch to this and I'm going to find out what it is." Vegeta growled before glaring at the back of Bulma's head in anxt.

'What are you hiding little one? Why is Frieza so set on getting rid of you? There has to be something about you; but what?' His thoughts completely drowning out all conversation until Frieza addressed him.

"Vegeta, I trust you'll take good care of her for me. I want her trained, and who better to train her than yourself. Well, its been fun, but I really must be off. Oh, and King Vegeta. Make sure that she stays out of trouble. That little Bitch is quite the smart ass at times." With that said and a final laugh at her expense Frieza and his ship departed leaving a confused Saiyajin prince, and a mortified Bulma standing in his wake.

"Vegeta" The king addressed.

"What old man." He smirked back. His father hated it when he used the disrespectful title.

King Vegeta growled under his breath before regaining his nearly lost composure in order to address his son. "You heard Frieza. Take her and train her. She is your responsibility for the next three years. I get the feeling Frieza is up to something, and whatever it is involves her; so make sure she stays out of trouble or it will be your neck. " The king pointed his finger in her face for extra emphasis before turning to head back to his throne room leaving the two young saiayjin men and Bulma to stare at one another in confusion.

'What the hell!!' Vegeta thought; glaring confusedly at the diamond studded chain in his hand then to the creature at the other end.

'Well Bulma, Welcome to the seventh circle of hell.' Bulma groaned inwardly while shaking her head.

'I wonder what CHI has made for dinner' Kakkarot's stomach growled

Till Next Time: How will Vegeta and Kakkarot react when they find out Bulma can talk. How is she going to keep her secret identity a… well… a secret. Find out next time.

From: If Looks Could Kill


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- WTF!!

"What does Frieza expect me to train this creature to do, sit? He must be losing his mind." Vegeta thought while staring down at the blue eyed creature.

Kakkarot, after deciding that standing around doing nothing was starting to get a little boring decided to speak up. "So, Vegeta. We should probably get some training in before your father's banquet. I'm really excited to see what she can do." Kakkarot exclaimed excitedly as he reached down and ruffled her neck fur.

Bulma sat and listened to the two as they talked. She was quickly becoming fond of the taller male to her left. He seemed genuine and she saw no hidden motives behind his kind demeanor. Besides, she quite liked having her fur mussed from time to time. Now the prince was another story all together. He seemed guarded and his distain rolled off in waves. No, she trusted the prince about as far as she could throw him, and judging by his power level, she wouldn't even get close enough.

'Maybe I should introduce myself.' She thought while looking between the two who were still discussing their next course of action. She was so engrossed in the conversation that she didn't even notice the other Saiyajins walking past them back to their stations, nor did she notice the black haired female who was fast approaching the trio.

The two young Saiyajin males were still standing on the landing deck when the last Saiyajin walked by. She glared Bulma down as she passed and "accidentally" stepped on her fluffy tail with one steel toed white boot; while attempting to get the young prince's attention. What happened next, however, was not what the pretty, young female had expected.

Bulma let out a pained yelp and rounded on the female Saiyajin without warning; her teeth sinking into the females tail that was swaying lazily behind her. The female in turn; let out a strangled cry and crashed to the ground in agonizing pain, yet Bulma refused to relinquish her hold on the black furry appendage.

The young female tried desperately to pry Bulma's mouth open, but in her weakened state could merely bat at Bulma's face and make her blink her eyes and growl out her irritation.

The female cast a teary eyed glance behind her to the two Saiyajin males and whispered a meek "Help me, please" in an attempt to gain their assistance. However, her plea fell on deaf ears. Vegeta stared down at her with contempt. Despite being distracted he had seen the female's trespass. She had challenged the furry creature and it had retaliated accordingly. A sinister smirk appeared on his face which caused the female Saiyajin to shrink back in fear.

"A tail for a tail, don't you think Lauri? She'll let go when she feels good and ready to let go. As for you, I suggest you pick your battles a little more wisely from now on. I do believe you've bitten off a little more than you can chew this time…hahaha." The prince roared with laughter at Lauri's misfortune.

Kakkarot, not being able to stand the pitiful sight before him, cautiously approached Bulma's side. He knelt down to look her in the eye while resting a gentle hand on her neck in an attempt to gain her attention.

"I think you've made your point. Don't you think you should let her go now? For my sake if not for hers. I know that has to hurt." He said with a soft, goofy smile.

Bulma looked at him out of the corner of her eye as he spoke, and couldn't deny such a kind hearted request. Bulma's angry eyes softened and she relinquished her hold on the young female much to her relief.

"Thank you" Kakkarot said as he stood to look down on her. Bulma looked into his eyes and cocked her head to the side as she studdied him. He had a kind face, unlike his friend, but he too was handsome and well built. However, his presence was less intimidating as it was comforting. Her tail subconsciously wagging happily behind her; all memory of the previous trespass forgotten for the moment. She liked this Saiyajin.

Lauri, after regaining her composure, turned her red face to the Saiyajin prince. She was more than embarrassed. That creature would pay dearly for attacking her. She looked down at her mangled tail that laid lifeless in her hands. Blood poured from the deep puncture wounds received from Bulma's sharp teeth, and her fur was a mess of matted blood and saliva. Lauri was sight to be seen. This only added to her rage as she glared at Vegeta's now smug expression. 'He's going to pay as well.' She thought before letting her feelings on the subject be known. She had ways of getting what she wanted out of a man, and Vegeta was more than just a man.

"Vegeta, are you really going to let her get away with that? I mean, I am your betrothed. What she did is like treason. She should be killed for attacking me." She said while making a sad face and brushing her ample chest against his. She smirked in triumph as Vegeta's eyes drifted to her chest and she heard a very menacing growl from behind her. Her victory was short lived however, as Vegeta promptly shoved her away from his person.

Kakkarot had to stifle his laughter at Lauri's face, and nudged Bulma in the shoulder. She immediately looked up at him and a mischievous smile crept across her face. This female was in for it; she could tell by the look in Vegeta's eye.

After shoving Lauri away, Vegeta glared her down before circling her. That was a bold move, even for Lauri. No one got away with touching him without his permission. He watched in amusement as Lauri's eye's followed him nervously, but she never once moved from her spot; her body rigid with fear. "Return to your post, Lauri. You are neither wanted nor needed here. Perhaps I should call the lead mistress and have you sent to the harem, seeing as how you enjoy throwing yourself around. " He growled out seductively as he came up behind her to whisper in her ear.

Lauri stiffened at the mention of the palace Harem. No female in their right mind would want to be sent there. She had heard terrible stories of the abuse those girls had received from the King and prince. As much as she wanted Vegeta; she valued her life more.

Vegeta then grabbed her wounded tail and squeezed it, causing Lauri to fall to the ground in convulsions of pain. "Never touch me again. I find you absolutely repulsive, and if it wasn't for my idiotic father and this stupid marriage contract. I'd send you to the harem straight out. Now get up and get your ass back to work; you second class whore." He yelled as he violently released her tail sending her skidding across the ground.

Lauri quickly picked herself up and ran back to her post with teary eyes. Never in her life had she been so humiliated. She would make them all pay for her embarrassment, and she would see to it that the little blue eyed bitch died a most horrible death. Yes, that "Thing" was going to pay for humiliating her in front of the prince one way or another.

'This isn't finished, not by a long shot.' Lauri thought to herself before entering the soldiers quarters.

Vegeta turned to face the only other occupants of the landing pad, and was quite surprised to see Kakkarot and Bulma engrossed what he assumed was a game. He watched in amusement as Kakkarot rested his hand on Bulma's muzzle and she attempted to bite it before he pulled it out of her reach. She certainly had proven herself to the Saiyajin prince. He couldn't help but admire the creatures abilities. Apparently he had underestimated her intelligence. Now he was curious as to what she was truly capable of on the battlefield. 'well, now is as good a time as any.' Was his final thought before he decided to end their little game. Kakkarot was leaning precariously on one of his father's space pods. The last thing he needed was for the moron to break it.

"Kakkarot! You and that Bitch stop playing around and get your asses over here! We have training to do."

That was all the encouragement Bulma needed. She had been shocked, stepped on, and now insulted; all in a matter of hours. NO, she would not take being called a Bitch lying down.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?" She roared. "I have a name you jack- ass, and it happens to be Bulma, thank you." She said, before putting her nose in the air and turning it to the side in indignation.

Vegeta and Kakkarot's jaws nearly hit the floor. 'She can TALK!' ran through both their minds, and they looked at each other to confirm that they had actually heard her talk.

"You can talk, why didn't you say anything before?" Kakkarot asked while Vegeta just stared.

"Didn't have anything important to say." Was all the reply she offered. She didn't like being treated like a freak show.

Vegeta, for the first time in his life was left nearly speechless. 'She can talk?' kept playing over and over in his mind along with all iys implications. By speaking, she just bumped herself up a notch in the princes books. He now saw her as an intelligent being and not just some dumb mutt.

Turning to leave he paused when he realized Kakkarot and Bulma were not following. The vein in his forehead popping out in agitation.

"Well, lets go. We have training to do before the banquet tonight." With that said Vegeta turned back around and resumed his trek towards the hangar; cape whipping behind him wildly.

"Is he always an ass -hole?" Bulma asked as Kakkarot picked up her diamond studded leash and unhooked it from her collar.

"Yeah, Vegeta doesn't really trust too many people. I've been his training partner since we were kids, so I guess I've kinda gotten used to him. Don't worry though, he's not that bad once you get to know him." He explained as the two followed Vegeta's path.

Bulma sighed as she followed Kakkarot to the training facility. She didn't like the idea of having to fight with either of the two Saiyajins. Truth be told, she had never once sparred with anyone. Frieza had taught her to merely kill those who challenged her, and she was afraid of losing control during their sparring session and hurting one of them. However, her fears were severely diminished when she and kakkarot entered the training room and saw Vegeta beating the living shit out of another Saiyajin male.

"You're getting weak Raditz. Next time try to put up more of a fight." Vegeta said before giving Raditz a swift kick to the head and sending his unconscious body skidding across the room, Vegeta turned to glare at the two standing in the doorway.

"Well, what took you so long? I've been waiting for nearly five minutes." Vegeta growled menacingly as he quickly advanced to get in Kakkarot's face.

"Take your brother to medical, and go get yourself ready for the banquet."

Kakkarot nodded "Sure Vegeta, no problem." He then crossed over to the opposite wall, picked up the unconscious Saiyajin, and tossed him over his shoulder before exiting the training room leaving Bulma alone with Vegeta. She grimaced uncomfortably and was extremely grateful that she was in her Loupgaru form so Vegeta couldn't see her blush. Unfortunately for her Vegeta's proximity put her at eye level with a certain area of his anatomy, and she couldn't help but notice that his training clothes left little to the immagination. She promptly looked up.

"Cough, excuse me, but I thought we were here to spar?" She said in irritation.

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, Vegeta felt the need to put his fist to the little chit's nose, and without warning; that's exactly what he did. Balling up his fist he rapt it down on her nose as hard as he could. Not being prepared for an attack, Bulma took the full force of his fist square on the top of her muzzle which sent her front half careening into the steel floor of the training room.

The hollow sound of his fist on her nose and the sickening crunch of her head meeting the cold steel rang through the room. Bulma let out a strangled cry of pain as blood poured from her nose. She lay there momentarily trying regain her composure, but the force of his punch left her dazed. Now she understood why Frieza wanted her trained by this dick-head. He was strong! She growled in anger when she heard him chuckle and begin to circle around her. 'Cocky little Bastard. That shit-head is soo gonna get it when I get my bearings' She thought dazedly as she tried desperately to shake off the double vision plaguing her. The sound of Vegeta's cold laughter spurring her on to recovery. She growled out her warning before opening her once tightly shut eyes and narrowing them in pure rage.

"Bad dog…" was all Vegeta had time to say before he found himself pinned to the floor with a very angry Bulma's open muzzle suspended inches from his face.

Kakkarot stood shocked in the doorway as he watched the scene unfolding before him. He had come to inform the prince that his father had requested to see him, but after seeing the way Vegeta was throwing Bulma around; decided to wait till one of them gave out. He was truly amazed at Bulma's performance though. No one, not even he had been able to take Vegeta down the way she had. Bulma, whatever she was, was something else. He watched as Vegeta struggled to keep her from securing a grip on his face, but gasped in surprise when her paw raked across the armor covering his chest; drawing blood in its wake.

Vegeta let out a cry of pain before tossing Bulma across the room. She landed gracefully on all fours and crouched into an immediate fighting stance. He then brought his hand to his chest and was astonished to see his own blood dripping from his glove. He then locked eyes with her. His astonishment barely concealed on his handsome face.

'How did she manage to cut through my armor?' he wondered briefly, but was drawn from his thoughts when Bulma began raising her front half up and slamming her front paws to the ground while raising her head and snorting. He immediately recognized what she was doing and roared in pure rage. How dare she.

"ARE YOU CHALLENGING ME WEAKLING? I COULD KILL YOU WITH ONE FINGER!" He raged before charging her. His fist aimed at her upturned head.

Bulma, anticipating his next move raised to her hind legs and to Vegeta and Kakkarot's amazement, caught Vegeta's fist in her hand before using his momentum against him and raising him above her head then slamming him down hard with a gutteral roar.

Landing with a grunt Vegeta quickly flipped over to his back and kicked Bulma's legs out from under her; sending her crashing to the floor on top of him. The two lie on the floor panting for all of two minutes before they were up and grappling again.

This time however, Vegeta managed to get Bulma in a strong headlock before she had the chance to stand, and Kakkarot watched on in amusement as she tried with all her might to free her head, while Vegeta sat with his legs outstretched on the floor quite at his leisure.

"Hahah, give up Bitch?" He barked out, causing Bulma's thrashing to increase ten fold.

"Just you wait till I get free, then we'll see whose laughing, Dick!" Bulma raged in embarrassment. She was well aware that he could snap her neck at any point, and the thought frightened her a bit. But something told her she had nothing to fear. She briefly locked eyes with him when she ceased her struggles to catch her breath. No, he wouldn't kill her; at least not this day. She was amazed, however, to see that his eyes were devoid of emotion. She was then shocked to see, for the briefest moment, excitement flash through them before it disappeared as quickly as it came. She wondered briefly if she had even seen it at all.

'What is he getting at? Was all this nothing more than a game to him? ' Bulma thought as she stared into his eyes from the confines of his strong arm. It was at that very moment that she was made aware of the strong arm wrapped securely around her neck and the warmth of his body against her side. She immediately began to feel uncomfortable, but was saved from further mortification when he released her head to quiet the beeping that came from a device wrapped around his wrist.

"What is it old man, can't you see we're in the middle of a sparring match?" Vegeta growled at the offending piece of machinery. Bulma's eyes widned when she recognized the very familiar voice of the King coming back over the device. She moved to rest her head on Vegeta's shoulder to get a better look at the strange device.

'Remarkable, and here I thought they were a more primitive race. It's good to see they have basic communication devices.' She thought as she listened in on the conversation.

"Vegeta, I want you to show…uh… " The king faltered on her name.

"My name is Bulma your highness." She meekly offered. Vegeta turned his head slightly to stare at the side of her face which was currently looking over his shoulder.

"Very well, Bulma, Vegeta, show Bulma to her living quarters, then you and Kakkarot need to prepare for the banquet tonight. " The king said gruffly

"What about the Bitch?" Vegeta said earning a quick head butt from Bulma which he returned then shouldered her in the side playfully before returning to the conversation at hand.

"I will send some servants to tend to her. Just make sure either you or Kakkarot are there to escort her to the banquet. I don't want her roaming the halls of the palace unattended. That'll be all for now. The banquet will start in one hour; with or without you." The king said before the device went dead.

"Well, I'm outta here Vegeta, I don't want to have your father yell at me again for being late. See ya later, Bulma. Maybe after dinner we can spar." Kakkarot said as he made his way to the door.

Bulma shook her head and smiled at the retreating Saiyajin's back. He was an odd one, that was for sure.

"Idiot." Vegeta said to himself as he absentmindedly reached up to scratch behind Bulma's ear and ruffle her neck fur.

Bulma was in heaven. His hand was rested on her neck and his fingers were embedded in her thick fur. Unfortunately he stopped when his hand brushed over the hard steel of her ki collar. He then became aware of his ministrations and withdrew his hand.

"What is this device you wear?" He asked as he leaned back to examine it.

Bulma shuddered as she felt the head of his breath move her fur. He was too close for her comfort. She took a few steps back and surprisingly he released her.

"It's called a ki collar. Its used to suppress an individuals ki; making them easy to control by whoever possesses the remote. When someone presses that remote, it activates the collar and draws any available ki from the wearer's body. Unfortunately for me, since my powers are not ki based, it draws from my life force. If one was to press the button for to long, it would kill me." Bulma confessed angrily. Damn, she hated that thing.

Suddenly and without warning Bulma felt a sharp sting against her neck then heard a metal clang.

"There, now lets go. We've wasted enough time here."

'He, freed me.' Bulma was astonished. No one had ever thought enough of her to release her from that wretched collar. A smile slowly crept across her features as she raced to catch up with the surly Saiyajin prince. She definitely owed him one for that. She then thought about the banquet, and immediately began to dread the event. In her Loupgaru form she would not be able to dance, and she most certainly would be made to eat off the floor like a dog. Sighing sadly she continued to follow Vegeta down the many hallways till they paused in front of a set of large wooden doors.

"This is your room. My father is sending servants to attend you. Tell them what you need and they will get it for you. I will return within one hour. Be ready or I'm dragging you out either way." And with that, Vegeta left her standing in front of the two large doors, and disappeared into the room beside hers with a might slam of his doors.

'I wonder what that was all about? She thought, but quickly shook it off as part of Vegeta being moody. She then placed both her front paws on the large doors and open it. The sight that greeted her left her speechless.

"This can't be my room… can it?" She said to her self. In the middle of the room was a huge king size bed with a dark blue comforter, and to the right of said bed was an armoir in the corner and a window that went from the cathedral celing all the way to the floor. To the left of the bed were two doors. One led to a lavished bathroom with a shower and a hot tub, and the other led to a walk-in closet filled with women's clothes; most of which were in her size. Bulma suddenly felt like a little kid again, and ran over to the bed and pounced on it. She only got to jump maybe a handful of times before a knock on the door brought her crashing to the bed in embarrassment.

"Come in"

Five girls, all around her age, entered her quarters. They looked around in confusion for a minute, and one dared call out if anyone was in the room. Bulma rolled her eyes and hopped down off the bed to greet the girls. Obviously the king had forgotten to mention what kind of a guest they would be attending. No matter, she didn't need too much assistance from them anyway.

"I'm sorry, the king must have forgotten to inform you. My name is Bulma."

The five girls eyes all widened significantly, but they soon returned to their normal size as they bustled about the room preparing Bulma for, whatever they had planned to to with her.

"Well, first I think a bath is in order." One said as she filled the hot tub with hot water, and placed some scented oils under the tap.

'I think I'm gonna like it here' Bulma thought before she allowed herself to be led to the bathtub to be bathed.

To Be Continued: Hmmm, what will Bulma do with all those nice clothes? How are the servants going to doll her up for the banquet as a Loupgaru, and what will happen at said banquet. P.S. Let me know what you think of my story so far. Be honest, but nice.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: What a Pleasant Surprise_

_Bulma slowly crawled over the side and into the tub; being careful not to splash her attendants. After adjusting to the waters warm temperature, Bulma laid her head on the side of the tub while one of the girls lathered her fur with sweet smelling shampoo._

"_Thank you so much for all this. I'm not really used to this kind of treatment."_

"_It's no problem miss. We're just not sure in what ways we can fancy you up for the banquet. I mean… well, ya know." The servant stuttered unsure of herself._

_Bulma's eyes took on a pensive glow as she hopped out of the bath and allowed another girl to dry her with a towel. She herself didn't really do much to pretty herself up in her Loupgaru form. She usually let her fur air dry as well, then licked it dry to fluff it up later._

"_Hmmm, I know! Do you girls have a hair dryer, perfume and some jewelry?" _

_The girls all thought for a moment then a few nodded enthusiastically before disappearing out her large doors. A few minutes later one returned with what she assumed was a hair dryer and a brush, another later followed with a large box of different styled jewelry, and the last came in with an oddly shaped dark blue bottle. _

"_Please, have a seat here on this foot stool." The first servant said as she guided Bulma to the sitting area. She then proceeded to dry Bulma's fur, while the rest brushed and fluffed her fur till it shone a bright shiny blue/white. _

"_There, all finished, now, what do you think miss." One servant asked with a satisfied smile on her face while holding a mirror._

_Bulma gave herself a once over and turned around to inspect her overall appearance. How those girls were able to get her coat as shiny and fluffy as they had was beyond her. She'd have to remember what they used. _

"_Would you like me to spray you with some kolache musk now, miss." _

"_Sigh, enough with this miss business, the name's Bulma, and I feel terrible for not asking all your names earlier. Please, tell me." _

_The five girls looked shocked. No one had ever asked their names before, let alone thanked them or allowed them to call the person by their names before. They were almost too shocked to answer, but the first servant decided to speak._

"_My name is Chi Chi, the blond is Eighteen, the one with dark blue hair is Launch, The red head is Misty, and the shorty over there is Tabbs. You're the first person who actually seemed to take notice of us as people. Surprising that it would come from a Loupgaru._

_Now it was Bulma's turn to act surprised. How did this servant know what she was? Frieza didn't even know what she really was. He just thought her some evolved form of primitive animal. Her stomach sunk at the thought of her secret being revealed. Had she told anyone of her other form; Frieza would have surely used her talents against her people. She shuddered at the thought._

"_Chi chi is it? Listen, I would really appreciate it if you didn't go around telling people that I'm a Loupgaru. I don't really want to draw any unwanted attention my way, you understand right?" Bulma said as she got as close to Chi chi as physically possible to prevent any of the other girls from hearing their conversation._

"_Yeah, I understand, you don't have to worry about me. I know what you're about. If your this pretty as a dog, I can't imagine what you look like in your natural form. I bet your stunning!" Chi chi said with a knowing smirk. "Now, what kind of jewelry do you want." Whit that she opened the chest to reveal a multitude of necklaces, bracelets, ear rings, and rings._

_Bulma chose a beautifully diamond and sapphire encrusted silver bracelet to slide halfway up her tail, a matching choker that very much resembled a collar, and one round silver hoop earring to place in her left ear. She looked herself over in the mirror and immediately realized something was missing. She disappeared into the walk-in closet and returned with a silver chainlike belt wrapped loosely around her waist._

"_There, how do I look?"_

"_Wow, for a Loup… I mean, for a dog, you sure do clean up very well. You look absolutely beautiful. You're gonna have to watch yourself out there though. Saiyajin males are notorious for grabbing tails." Chi chi warned before ushering the other four girls out. She herself stayed behind for a moment when she noticed Bulma's ears and tail droop._

"_You're not worried about what I said are you? I really doubt that the king or prince would allow such behavior towards…"_

"_No, its not that, I'm just worried that they'll make me eat on the floor." Bulma moaned _

_A loud snort followed by uproarious laughter echoed throughout the room. Bulma stared at Chi chi in irritation before taking a seat on the lounge under the balcony windows._

"_Bulma, don't worry. We saiyajins have better manners than that. You know what we turn into don't you? Why would we treat you any different than one of our own?" _

_Chi chi's little speech seemed to have the desired effect and Bulma gave her a sweet smile before walking over to see her out the door. _

'_Well, at least I'm making friends' She thought wearily._

_Bulma sighed as she turned to face the clock on the nightstand. 'Just under half an hour to get ready? Wow, that's a new record for me; what am I going to do for the next half hour?' She asked herself while looking around the room. Nothing caught her eyes immediately so she settled on taking a quick nap. _

'_A little beauty sleep is all I need. I mean, the trip here was absolute hell. I'm bushed' _

_Squirming off her belt and jewelry Bulma gave her fur a light shake before heading towards the bed. As she approached the bed she went from walking on all fours; to two legs, and by the time she was crawling between the sheets she was human again. She set her alarm to wake her in twenty minutes and snuggled down to get some much needed rest. Briefly, Bulma wondered if she should have put on some clothes; seeing as how she was now completely naked. She shrugged the thought off and was just about to drift off when a loud banging startled her._

'_WHAT THE HELL' she thought before quickly transforming back into her Loupgaru form._

"_Woman!! Get your ass out here. It's time to go!"_

_The fur on her neck and down her back had raised in surprise immediately at the loud bang, but slowly smoothed out after hearing Vegeta's voice on the other side of the door. _

"_Coming!" She yelled before hopping off the bed and wiggling her jewelry back on, with much difficulty. Another bang made her nearly bite her tail off as she was trying to get her bracelet back on it, and she momentarily entertained the thought of hiding from him just to piss him off. _

'_He'd probably try and blast me out of my hiding spot' She growled as she went to let the prince in, but just as she was about to open the doors they flew open; slamming against the walls. Bulma cringed outwardly at the sound it made. 'Damn sensitive hearing.'_

"_Like I said earlier, you're coming whether you're ready or….. What the hell?" _

_Vegeta had to suppress his astonished gasp. Despite being a mutt, the attendants made her look somewhat human with all the jewelry and perfume. His nose twitched slightly as he took it in. It was just too bad that she wasn't more… well… Saiyajin. He would have much rather taken her to the banquet than Lauri. Despite what everyone would assume about the couple, Vegeta had no interest in the girl whatsoever. The very thought of having to bed her made his stomach turn. Suddenly his mind gave him a mental slap across the face._

_: Hello, she's a dog! Are we that desperate? Really now!: His mind roared_

'_I really must be losing my mind.'_

"_What's that for?" Bulma asked, eyeing her diamond studded chain warily. _

_Snapping out of his thoughts, Vegeta's eyes traveled to where she was staring and belatedly remembered the chain in his left hand. No use being careless. She came with it on, and she would go to the banquet with it on. Despite how Saiyajin, or human she acted; she was still an animal. He just had to keep telling himself that. His resolve began to fade, however, as he watched her rapidly wagging tail slow, then lower to rest securely between her legs, and her ears flatten against her head._

"_As a precaution." _

"………_.."_

"_You're wearing it to the banquet. After we've arrived you can take it off." Vegeta tried as he approached her with the end of the chain outstretched; fully intent on securing it to her collar._

"_NO, If I am to be degraded in this way, then I wish to remain here. Damn your banquet, damn your kind, and DAMN YOU! I'd rather have that infernal ki collar on. At least that wasn't a degradation, it was a sign of strength." Bulma growled as she backed herself into the corner of the room, and bared her teeth as warning._

_Vegeta didn't know how to respond. He had never thought of it as she had put it. Yes, to any normal being, it would be a degradation. However, she was no normal person. She was a dog, and as such she would be treated. He nodded to himself before grasping her collar and hoisting her from her crouched position in the corner so he could snap the end of the chain in place. He ignored her attempts at biting him, and finally heard the satisfying click of the chain as it fell in place around her necklace._

_Bulma let out a roar of indignation before immediately throwing herself about in an attempt to get the chain and if necessary, the collar from around her neck. No matter what, she was not wearing that chain ever again. _

_Vegeta had a death grip on the chain, and was greatly surprised to see that he was forced to brace himself against her thrashings. As he watched her he realized that if he didn't stop her thrashing, she was going to seriously injure herself. She had already cracked her head on the nightstand and nearly brained herself on the wall._

"_Calm yourself, is this any way for a civilized beast to act?"_

_Bulma's thrashings ceased, but her anger had only increased._

"_A civilized beast am I, well, let me tell you something you self-righteous son-of-a BITCH! You don't even know the half of it!" She raged. Her fur was now standing on end, and she was nearly panting like a dog. Gods how she hated him right now. If she wasn't naked, she had half a mind to transform right in front of him. She smirked at the thought of how shocked he would be._

"_Fine, you don't have to wear it."_

"_What did you say?" Bulma nearly fainted as he relinquished his death grip on the chain and it clattered against the bedrooms marble floor._

"_You heard me BITCH, now lets go before we're late. I've already wasted enough time on your childish, little tantrum."_

_Bulma's fur once again stood on end. He really knew what to say to get her goat. 'This is going to be a long night.'_

_The long walk to the banquet was filled with tense silence, and It wasn't long before they were standing before two large metal doors guarded by two burly Saiyajins. One, Bulma recognized from the training room, and the other was nearly twice Vegeta's size and sporting a shiny bald head. She had to supress a shudder at how he was looking at her. Her instincts were telling her not to get to close to that one if she valued her hide._

"_Your highness, would you like me to tie the creature up outside for you?" The bald one asked as he sent a condescending stare her way._

"_Nappa! I suggest you keep your idiotic comments to yourself before you get the shit beaten out of you. Is that understood?" Vegeta yelled as he punched Nappa in the gut; causing him to double over in pain._

"_Ye…ess, s…s…sire." Was all he could manage before Vegeta shoved the two large doors open to reveal a large, elaborately decorated banquet room with nearly a thousand Saiyajin's dancing in the center._

_Bulma couldn't believe what she was seeing. The room was beautiful, with its deep blues, whites and blacks. Unlike what she had imagined, the thrones were lined up against the side wall, and the balconies were on the right. Straight ahead were another set of doors which she assumed were another entrance. The banquet tables were large indeed, but nothing compared to the splendor of the royal table. It sat just a few feet in front of the high thrones as a separation from the royalty and the dancing Saiyajins. Bulma's heart sank as her earlier fears were rekindled. If Vegeta was about to make here wear a leash to the banquet; surely he would have no qualms with making her eat off the floor._

"_Come on Bitch."_

"_My name is Bulma, use it dick weed." _

"_Grrr, I'll call you whatever the hell I want BITCH, now move, or do I have to drag you?" Vegeta growled; grabbing the scruff of her neck for emphases._

"_I can walk just fine, thank you!" She growled back ; shaking off his gloved hand. 'So much for my fur do.' She mused as she shook herself before following the path Vegeta had made through the large crowd._

_Sneering in disgust Vegeta made his way to the four elaborately decorated, gold thrones. His father and mother were engaging in conversation whilst the occupant of the fourth throne was sitting with a bored expression on her face. His growls grew in volume, so much so that Bulma cast him a worried glance before nudging his hip with her nose. She knew how to calm his nerves. An evil smirk gracing her features as her ears slid back in anticipation of his reaction. Oh how she loved riling him up._

_Vegeta, being momentarily distracted by a sudden pressure on his hip, looked down at Bulma in irritation._

"_What!" He growled fiercely. He was in no mood for her mouth at the moment. He was too busy trying to find a way to get Lauri away from him; far, far away._

"_Whats the matter. You seem a little tense. Don't you want to sit next to your betrothed?" She asked, mockery evident in the smirk on her face. This only seemed to fuel his agitation, much to her chagrin. 'What is his deal?' She wondered briefly._

"_Vegeta, there you are. We were beginning to wonder if you were even going to show up." The queen informed as she rose from her throne to stand in front of her son. Her eyes soon fell to Bulma which caused the Loupin in her to leap in her chest. For some reason she liked this woman. _

_The queen gracefully knelt to her eye level and placed a gentle hand under her muzzle. She seemed pleased with Bulma's appearance, though slightly ruffled from Vegeta's rough treatment._

"_My, my, you sure are a beautiful creature. The jewelry brings out the blue in your fur and eyes. My name is Queen Creana. Please, have a seat. Lauri was just taking a rest." The queen offered as she cast Lauri a warning glare._

_The glare wasn't lost on Lauri, and Bulma could see the shock and humiliation in her eyes as she rose from the throne and made her way to the dance floor. Bulma also noticed how she made a show if it in attempts to attract Vegeta's attention. For some strange reason, Bulma felt a pang of jealousy. She wasn't fond of Lauri, and she knew that Vegeta detested her. _

'_I wonder under what circumstances their betrothement was arranged?' She pondered as she allowed the Queen to introduce her to the King, then lead her to her seat. _

_She watched in amusement as Vegeta seemed to be exchanging heated words with his father. She could only imagine what he had to say._

'_Probably griping about Lauri, no doubt.' She mused_

_Bulma's attention was soon captured when her eyes fell upon a familiar face. She stretched her senses and took in a deep breath trying to catch the scent. Her nose soon wrinkled in disgust as she glared at the man dancing below. There, dancing with two Saiyajin women, was non other than the man responsible for her current position._

'_Yaumcha' She roared in her head. _

_As if running on instinct Bulma's form took a predatory stance. She crouched down in her seat with her eyes locked on her target. She was fully prepared to rip the man's throat out, and no one would stand in her way. She was so preoccupied with her single minded obsession that she had failed to notice Lauri approach Vegeta's throne, sit on his lap, and attempt to seduce him, she also failed to notice Vegeta's failed attempts to detach himself from Lauri's roaming hands. _

_Extremely tired of fighting off Lauri's advances, Vegeta looked to his mother and father for assistance. Unfortunately, they saw nothing wrong with lauri's behavior. She was his betrothed, and as such, was perfectly within her right to lavish him with affection. Shot down from one side, Vegeta chanced a look at Bulma to see how she was taking Lauri's presence on his lap. Surely she would find it an abhorrence. However, he nearly leapt out of his chair when he noticed Bulma "stalking" someone on the dance floor._

"_Bitch, what are you doing." Vegeta growled as he reached for her scruff again._

_Before Vegeta could secure a grip on her, Bulma juked his hand and placed a paw on the floor, follwed by another. _

'_What the hell is this Bitch doing, trying to get herself killed.' Vegeta nearly spoke._

'_KILL!!' _

"_WHAT THE FUCK" Was all Vegeta had time to say before he shot out of his seat and tackled Bulma to the ground. _

'_NO, I HAD HIM' Bulma screamed out in her mind. _

"_RRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!" _

_The whole assembly stopped what they were doing to stare openly at the scene that was unfolding before them. Their prince was attempting to reign in a rather large creature, and failing miserably._

'_How the hell do I get a grip? She's wiggling too much. HOLY SHIT SHE'S LOOSE!' He thought as Bulma slipped out of his hands. He could only watch in fascination as Bulma charged through the crowd of Saiyajins and attempt to attack a scar faced male on the floor. Unfortunately for Bulma, she was unable to keep traction and slid past her intended target and into the far wall. The force of her body slamming into the marble caused a tapestry to fall on her. After thrashing a hole in the fabric with her 3in claws, Bulma's crazed eyes fell on her prey. The man was attempting to exit out the doors on the far end of the room._

'_Not this time Yaumcha!' She thought as she dug her claws into the floor for traction and charged after him, unfortunately for Bulma, the tapestry had become snagged on her collar and subsequently entangled around her front paws. She crashed to the floor and skidded to a halt when she slammed into the closing doors._

'_I almost had him. Damn piece of cloth' She sulked. It wasn't until she felt nearly a thousand eyes on her that she realized she had made quite the scene. Her ears flattened and she lowered her head in embarrassment as she noticed four famillar figures coming her way. 'I am so dead' She groaned as she tried to hid under the tapestry from the Very enraged looking King and Queen._

"_WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!" The King Bellowed as he snatched her up by the scruff of her neck to look him in the eyes_

_She gulped down the lump in her throat that was forming, and tried to explain herself, but the gravity of his heated gaze left her shaking in fear. She looked to the Queen for help, but only received an admonishing stare. Vegeta looked thoroughly pissed off, and Lauri was grinning like the cat with the cream. Bulma curled herself up in attempts to make herself look as small as possible. The King was still raging in her face, but all she could hear was her own heart beating in her ears. Finally, she could stand the humiliation no longer. She snapped at the king's hand causing him to release her._

"_That man, which I was unfortunate enough to have a brief acquaintance with, is the same man responsible for my current state of servitude to Frieza. He sold me out to Frieza and had my planet put on the red list. If I want my people to go on living in safety I'm stuck being Frieza's little lap dog. That man, is the bane of my very existence and I will kill him when the next opportunity presents itself. I do not take kindly to being man handled, and if you would be so kind as to accept my apologies for ruining your banquet; I believe it would be best for me to return to my living quarters." Bulma raged. Her fur was a lovely shade of red from all the drinks which were spilled on her, and she had sticky all over her paws. _

_The King and Queen stared at each other for a brief minute before the Queen knelt down to her level; not caring that she was kneeling in wine._

"_If we had known of your circumstances surely we would have reacted differently. My husband is known for action before questions; you understand. I truly am sorry." The Queen stated; her kind eyes shining with sympathy. For she herself knew what Bulma was going through. She herself was forced into Frieza's services, as was her son. No, she couldn't fault Bulma for her actions. She was justified._

"_Vegeta, escort that BITCH back to her quarters, and for gods sake woman, get off the damn floor. You look like a common servant!" The king bellowed as he yanked the Queen up by her bicep._

_Bulma's protective growl didn't go unnoticed by Vegeta. He was glad that Bulma was fond of his mother. At least he knew he had one more pair of eyes watching out for her. He didn't trust his father any more than he trusted Frieza. The bastard had sold him out to Frieza as well. His anger towards the little chit lessened after her explanation._

"_Come on woman, lets get you cleaned up." Vegeta urged._

"_But Vegeta, what about me. Whose gonna walk me to my room. I thought we were gonna spend some time together later on after the banquet. You know, just the two of us." lauri whined as she pressed herself against Vegeta's chest and ran her finger seductively across his armor chest plate. _

_He caught her finger in his hand and used it to throw her away from him. Her blatant disregard for his superiority was beginning to get on his last nerve. _

"_Lets make sure you understand one thing Lauri. You and I might be tied by Saiyajin law, but you and I will never be mates; of that you can be assured. I will find a way to nullify this contract between us. You aren't worth my time, and I certainly won't waste it on a whore such as yourself. You disgust me. Take yourself home, and try not to fuck any more of my guards while your at it. " Without another word Vegeta spun on his heels and motioned Bulma to follow; leaving Lauri to stare after them in complete and utter shock and humiliation._

_Out in the halls Bulma could hardly keep up with Vegeta's pace. He was pissed! She could feel his aura like fire; radiating off his finely toned body. His angry vibes were wreaking havoc on her already wound tight nerves. She had to do something to calm him; if only slightly._

"_Please don't be mad. I'm said I was sorry. I'll do anything to make it up to you!" Bulma pleaded; trying to get his focus off of Lauri._

_He rounded on her so fast she didn't even have time to react. He had her pinned by her throat to the far wall, and was glaring down. His quick breaths came out as pants in his rage. She didn't get it did she? He was not only a slave to that bastard lizard, but a slave to his people. He was being forced to marry a woman simply because a contract was signed. His life was not his own, and he was, for the first time, feeling the strain._

_Not knowing what else to do, Bulma reverted back to her basic Loupin instincts, and began licking his hand as an attempt to appease his wrath. As her luck would have it, she was rewarded for her efforts as his hand was removed from her throat and she was returned to the ground. _

_Vegeta was once again returned to the present by a strange feeling on his hand. He looked on in a mixture of shock and disgust as Bulma licked his hand furiously. Not being able to stand the disgusting feeling of her wet, dog tongue on his hand anymore; he quickly released her to wipe her saliva off on his armor._

"_What was that?" He growled as he furiously wiped his hand on his armor and continued walking toward their joint chambers._

"_I don't really know. I remember doing it as a puppy when my mother or father would scold me. They said it was an act of submission by pups, and as an adult it was a way to calm and soothe another. I really wasn't thinking; it just kinda happened. I'm sorry." Bulma explained, embarrassed by her actions. She was usually in full control of her instincts, however, where Vegeta was concerned she wasn't sure. She laughed out loud when the thought of his reaction to her humping his leg would be. No, she would never dream of doing it, but the thought was funny enough._

"_What do you find so amusing Bitch?" _

"_I thought we were over the Bitch thing. You called me woman earlier. Its not my name, but its less offensive than Bitch" Bulma tried_

"_I was caught up. I forgot that you aren't a woman… you're a dog!" Vegeta stated simply as he opened the doors to her chambers._

_Her ears dropped slightly and her once wagging tail fell limp behind her. She had forgotten herself. Oh, how she wished that he knew; that she could show him just how wrong he was. She was a woman, a beautiful and intelligent woman, but she couldn't betray that secret to anyone. Her heart clenched in her chest and she felt like screaming and crying all at the same time._

"_Well, come one then lets get you cleaned up" _

"_WHAT!"_

_Bulma watched in horror as Vegeta turned on the hot water in her bathtub and set two towels on the rack beside it. It wasn't until he had removed his armor and spandex shirt that her brain kicked back in._

"_You aren't taking a bath with me?!" She nearly squeaked_

"_Why not? From all the struggling you did earlier and my having to chase you; I'm just as dirty as you. Besides, you can't very well bathe yourself can you, and I've been ordered to watch you. the servants have all retired for the night, so there's no other choice. Now get in the tub, or do I have to make you, Bitch." Vegeta grumbled irritably. Apparently he didn't relish the idea of having to be the one responsible for bathing her either._

_Bulma's heart was beating her nearly to death, and she looked around frantically for a way out of this awkward situation. Well, for her it was awkward, but he thought she was just a dog. Granted if she was, in fact, just a dog this situation wouldn't be awkward at all, but seeing as how she wasn't just a dog, seeing Vegeta naked was definitely not a good idea. Oh, how he would hate her if he knew she wasn't what he thought she was. Finally, her mind came up with a feeble excuse, but it came too late._

"_Alright, now, lets get you into the tub" He said casually_

_Bulma's eyes grew as large as saucers_

'_Oh my GOD! This is not happening' Was all Bulma could think as she was picked up by a very naked Vegeta and carried towards the bath._

_Uh Oh, What will Bulma do? Such an akward situation! Will she give in and tell Vegeta her secret, or will she endure the torture. Find out next time. Mhuhahahah_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Muddled Up

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Nothing! There I said it. Happy now?

Ok, I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've been looking for a new job. Ever since I quit my job at the Sheriff's Dept. I've been bored stiff, and I still can't seem to find a good job. Anyway, I hope this chapter is somewhat of a consolation for the long delay, and as for the crazy stuff that happened; I have no idea what went down with the last chapter. I wrote it in Calibri 12 pt fond. Believe me, I know how hard it is to read something that way, and I have no idea how to fix it. Sorry folks, I'm still tryin to figure this whole uploading crap out, please don't hate me! By the way, thanks to all who have reviewed! You all have really encouraged me to keep going with the story, and thanks to those of you who took the time to give me some pointers! Anyway, on to the 4th chapter! Hope you all enjoy.

Bulma wanted to move, she really did, but there seemed to be a disconnect between her brain and her body. She could only watch in horror as Vegeta, non so gently, dropped her into the tub. She came up out of the water sputtering and glared at him.

"Bastard" She growled

"That's for earlier." Vegeta began, but stopped when he saw the look on Bulma's face.

'No, she's not!"

Bulma shook her wet fur for all she was worth, and was delighted to see that her plan had worked. There, before her, stood a very wet, naked, and pissed off Vegeta.

"Well, it looks like you just got your bath. No need to waste water huh."

Before she could come up with any more bright ideas, Vegeta dove into the tub and surfaced on the other side. He then rested both arms on the sides and just sat there staring at her.

"What" Bulma asked. She was a little nervous about the look she was receiving from her bath buddy.

"There's more to the story you told my parents. I want to hear the truth. I, unlike my father and mother, don't simply accept someone's words as fact. Now, talk"

Bulma's face faltered. She hadn't thought Vegeta to be one capable of such great personal insight. 'I guess everyone has their moments' She muttered to herself. Damn, she'd been caught. Now what was she supposed to do.

"I'm a loupgaru." (A/N: A friend told me to call her that. I had no idea it was an actual word. See, constantly learning new things)

"What the hell is that?" He gave her a puzzled look.

"Sigh, this is going to take a while. Long story short, I am by your Saiyajin standards a princess. I am the daughter of the alpha male and female of my pack. Yaumcha was my "Friend". He had a fascination with my kind and I with his. We shared stories about our kind to each other, and by the time I realized his true intentions, it was too late. He drugged me, and the next thing I knew I was aboard one of Frieza's ships and living in my own circle of hell. Yaumcha, however, takes great joy in torturing me, and Frieza takes some sick pleasure from it. He allows Yaumcha to follow me everywhere to ensure that I am following Frieza's orders exactly. He must have thought me devoid of all senses if he didn't think I would see him at that banquet. The man is truly an idiot. Anyway, that's about the gist of it. His betrayal is what really gets to me." She said, leaving out the part about her transforing abilities.

Vegeta just stared at her as if she had sprouted another head.

"You're telling me that you're a princess of that mudball planet? How the hell did this, Yamchop, slip under the radar? Surely your parents would have noticed your disappearance."

"That's just it. My parents were never home as it was, and seeing as how my father was forced to surrender the pack to his brother over some political bull shit; my disappearance went unnoticed. That's where Frieza stepped in. He "informed" my parents of my choice to join his allegiance, as it were, and my parents agreed to the whole thing. They thought it would buy us some time to prepare for battle; help us gain some allies. Unfortunately, they didn't realize at the time Frieza was just using them. They still don't, and I have been unable to contact them. Frieza's orders…ya know?"

Vegeta just shrugged as he lathered her fur with some black substance she decided was shampoo. She stood stock still as he silently scrubbed her haunches, tail and back legs. He then worked his way to her torso and front legs. When he reached her neck his hands sunk into thick soft fur. He grunted and removed his hands to squeeze more of the black stuff into his palms before returning to the task at hand. He scrubbed her neck fur, it seemed more like a mane to him, then moved to her head; being careful not to get any in or around her eyes. Bulma's body had subconsciously relaxed as he scrubbed and she realized, after jerking to keep herself upright, that she had nearly fallen asleep on him. She opened her eyes as Vegeta twisted the faucets of the tub to the desired temp. then to her shock and horror, grabbed her by her nape and shoved her under the icy water to rinse her off.

"You insufferable, Bastard! What the hell was that for?!"

"I felt like it, besides, its not nap time." He mused as he watched her drag her shivering wet body out of the bath.

"Yeah, well, shoot." She said as she shook her fur and began licking it to dry like a cat.

"What the hell are you doing Bitch? You're not a Fucking cat?"

Bulma paused mid lick and lifted her eyes to meet his. His confusion very evident in his coal black eyes. Bulma giggled as she returned to drying her fur.

"Answer me Bitch!"

"Sigh, how else am I supposed to dry myself off. Its not like I can just grab a towel and dry it that way. Not to mention, this is how I get my fur so fluffy and soft." She said proudly as she lifted her front paw and began licking along her foreleg in an attempt at ignoring the grouchy prince as he to emerged from the bath and began drying himself off.

"You are a weird one."

"Well, to me you are weird. I mean look at you. Walking around naked. Don't you Saiyajin's have any self respect?" She smirked to herself as she moved to licking her shoulder.

Vegeta's face turned three shades of red before he quickly snatched his training shorts and put them on, followed by his shirt, and the rest of his armor. He watch silently as Bulma fluffed the last bit of her tail, and trotted over to the full length mirror by the closet to check herself out.

"Vain little whelp."

"Arrogant prick"

"Grrrr"

"Humph, and you call me a Bitch, look which one of us is growling now"

"If it wasn't for Frieza's protection, you would have already been blasted Bitch. You're the most annoying creature I have had the displeasure of training. I think I liked you better when I didn't know you could talk."

"And I liked you… wait… I never liked you, so there" Bulma snarled as she bared her teeth.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

"Who the Fuck is that?"

Bulma just ignored his comment as she grabbed the doors handle with her teeth and opened it to greet whoever was on the other side.

"Am I interrupting anything Bulma?"

"Kakkarot? Hey, No, you weren't interrupting anything. What brings you by?"

Bulma stepped aside as she motioned for Kakkarot to enter the room, and Vegeta couldn't suppress the growl of agitation that escaped his lips upon seeing his sparring partner bending down to scratch behind Bulma's ears.

'What the hell is my problem? It's not like she's my pet or anything. Hell, its not even like I care about her at all. This is getting too weird for me. Maybe I've finally lost it." Vegeta pondered to himself before shaking the rouge thoughts from his head. They would have to wait till a more convenient time.

"What do you want Kakkarot?"

He raised his head to look at Vegeta, with a blank expression, but soon sobered. He gave Bulma one final pat on the head before rising to stand directly in front of his prince.

"Your father has an armament meeting. He wants you there; something about new technological advancements." Kakkarot whispered trying to keep Bulma from hearing, but his sidelong glances to see if she was paying attention to their conversation spoke volumes.

'Oh, I heard you all right. Idiot. I have better hearing than that. Ok Vegeta, lets see what you and your people have to hide from Lord Frieza. Sure hope its what he sent me here to find out about. I'll just have to pay the labs a little visit after everyone goes to sleep for the night. Then I'll be able to judge for myself what I'm up against. Lets just hope its worth my time. I want to get off this planet before anything else crazy happens. ' She thought to herself. Unfortunately she was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear kakkarot say goodbye. The door slamming behind the two males brought her back to reality.

"Well, lets see what these Saiyajins have up their sleeves. Hey, wait for me!" With that Bulma pulled the door open and raced after the two Saiyajin males. Unfortunately for Bulma, they were well out of eyes range, but she immediately picked up Vegeta's scent.

'Hmm, not to bad. Spicy, with a musky undertone. I like.' She thought as she raced down the halls many twists and turns till she finally caught sight of the two males.

"Hey, wait up guys."

"Bulma, hey, we didn't know you were going to come with us…uhhh." Kakkarot said nervously as he scratched the back of his head and avoided eye contact with her.

"What he means is that you weren't invited to this meeting, Bitch, now scat. I don't have time to pet sit." vegeta said, and dismissed her with a wave of his gloved hand.

Her once wagging tail and erect ears drooped and she shrunk back as if she had just been hit.

"Well you don't have to be so mean about it. I just thought…" but she paused, thinking better of herself.

"Just thought what? That we would just let you tag along? You are working for Frieza, he sent you here for training, and that's all you are here for. You are not to be trusted and you certainly aren't smart enough to understand what is going to be going on. So why don't you go back to your room, chew on some chew toys, or whatever you mutts do for fun and leave us to our business. Maybe later I'll have one of the servants take you for a walk or something."

Bulma's ears flattened against her head and her tail tucked up tightly between her legs. Never in her life had she felt so humiliated, so hurt, and so angry. She couldn't settle on one emotion, but she knew one thing. His words stung. She felt her vision blur as the tears filled her eyes, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. With her head hung and her eyes misty she could only stare at the hateful prince.

"I'm sorry I've been such a burden. It's nice to know how you really feel about me. I won't take up any more of your time." And with that, Bulma turned tail and ran back to her room leaving the two men alone in the massive halls.

"Vegeta, I can't believe you said that. That was heartless, even for you. She has been nothing but nice to everyone around here. She doesn't deserve that kind of treatment!"

Vegeta just stared after Bulma until she was out of sight. He hadn't meant to be so hard on her. He just couldn't risk letting her see what his scientists had been working so hard and so secretly on. He just couldn't risk her betraying that kind of information to Frieza. Something told him she wouldn't do that, but his head wouldn't believe his gut. One thing Vegeta knew was not to trust anyone, even a creature who, from what he read, were known across the universe for their nobility, and honor. No, he had to do it. He had to send her away. It was for the best. Sighing, he completely ignored Kakkarot's protests and shoved the large doors open and proceeded in; leaving Kakkarot to shut them.

She ran, ran as fast as her paws would carry her. She ran until she reached her door and slammed her shoulder into it to open it; not caring if she hurt herself in the process, and head butted the doors shut behind her. She then ran and threw herself on her bed and cried her heart out.

'What did I do that was so horrible for him to hate me. I thought we had at least become acquainted enough to be civil to one another. Oh, well, at least I know how these Saiyajin's see me.' She thought bitterly.

She raised her head and looked at the mirror on the vanity across the room. Glaring at her reflection she hopped of the bed, crossed over to the vanity, and sat upon its bench to look at herself. Sighing, she cocked her head to the side and closed her eyes before letting her transformation slip. She reopened her eyes and stared at her human form. She turned her head this way, then that, then balled her long hair in a high bun on her head before inspecting her appearance again. She let her hair fall around her face and huffed angrily at her reflection.

"What is wrong with me. Would it be so bad if they knew?"

She then stood and crossed stark naked over to her full length mirror and again inspected herself.

"Who am I kidding. I've got nothing." She groaned as she turned to look over her shoulder at her backside in the mirror.

"Are you kidding me? You're absolutely gorgeous that's what you are!!"

Bulma whipped around trying to cover herself.

"Chi Chi?! What are you doing here?" She all but yelped as she watched the black haired servant from earlier cross to sit on her bed.

"I just thought you could use some cheering up. Kakkarot told be about what Vegeta said. He said you took it pretty hard, and I thought it would be fun to take you out of the palace for a while."

Bulma wrinkled her nose in irritation, and Chi Chi nearly gasped when she realized what she must have sounded like to her new "Friend".

"No, No, I'm not here to take you for a walk dummy. I mean in your human form. I want to take you to the markets. We could get you some things to entertain you while you are here. Besides, I heard there's this really nice café that just opened, and I've been dying to try it." Chi Chi said nearly drooling at the thought.

"Haha, leave it to you and Kakkarot to think of food. Sure, I'd love to go. It'll be nice to stretch my legs. I haven't been out of my Loupgaru form it seems like forever. Let me throw on some clothes and we can go."

"Sounds great!"

Bulma went to her walk-in closet and searched through the wardrobe. She settled on some short cut off jean shorts, and a black spaghetti strap tank with a pair of black flops and belt to match. She left her waist long wavy hair down, and put on some eye shadow and liner for effect.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked Chi Chi as she did a little twirl.

"Amazing! Girl, with that exotic coloring of yours and that smoking body, we're gonna have to fight the men off with sticks." Chi Chi laughed.

Bulma just shook her head and drug Chi Chi out the door.

"Come on Chi, I need to get out of here. Quick, Race ya!" And with that Bulma took off down the long halls with Chi Chi close behind. The girls laughter could be heard all throughout the palace, and reached the keen ears of two very curious Saiyajin men.

"Do you feel that Kakkarot?"

"Yeah, feels like Chi, but I have no idea who the other girl is."

"That ki, it feels familiar somehow."

"Yeah, I feel ya. Its no Saiyajin that's for sure. Who could it be?"

Vegeta shook his head. "Don't know Kakkarot, but I know how to find out. Come on idiot, try and keep up."

Vegeta and Kakkarot were about to round the first corner when the strange ki bared on them and slammed head long into Vegeta's solid body and bounced off. Catching Vegeta off guard.

"WHAT THE FUCK!!"

"OOMPH! OUCH!"

HEY!! GAAAAHHHH!!"

Bulma's sudden stop caused Chi Chi to slam into her back and both women were sent sprawling to the floor in a tangle of long bare legs and arms.

Vegeta glared down at the two women that lay on the marble floor before him, and couldn't help but stare in shock at what he saw. BLUE HAIR!! Where had this woman come from. Surely he would have noticed such an attractive slave running around the palace, and if not her looks; her hair was impossible to miss.

"Who the fuck are you?" He growled at Bulma.

"Ummm."

"Hey Chi, let me help you girls up." Kakkarot said as he offered both women a hand.

"Thanks Goku!" Chi Chi said as she took hold of his right arm.

"Goku? I thought his name was Kakkarot?" Bulma asked her friend as she stared at Chi Chi awkwardly.

"I call him Gouk, its kinda a nickname I made up for him. Its easier to say." She explained

Bulma nodded her head and put her hand out. "Nice to meet you Goku!"

"Likewise" Goku took her hand and gave it a firm shake while his other hand was behind his head and he laughed sheepishly. Vegeta, not liking being ignored, stepped in between Bulma and Goku causing Bulma to take a step back in order to not be chest to chest with him.

"Hey! Gee, whats your problem Vegeta? Can't stand not being the center of attantion?" Bulma asked.

"I'm only going to repeat the question once more. Who the FUCK are you?"

Bulma locked eyes with Vegeta and couldn't resist. He had humiliated her earlier and now was her chance to watch him eat his words.

"Gee Vegeta, and here I thought you were a little more perceptive than that. I guess one couldn't expect much from a Saiyajin. Why don't you go back to your big boy meetings and leave little ol me to my business. I mean, Chi Chi here was just taking me out for a walk. Come on Chi. Lets get out of here."

And with that, Bulma grabbed Chi Chi by the hand and proceeded to drag her down the opposite hallway to the main gates of the palace.

"No, it couldn't be, could it?"

Flashback:

"_Prince Vegeta, are you paying attention?"_

_Vegeta raised his head from the pages of his textbook and stared lazily at the teacher in front of him._

"_That's what I thought. Now, will you please read the next chapter aloud to the class. This next race is very rare, and can only be found on one planet in the whole galaxy. They will be the main focus of your next test, so listen up. Alright, you may begin your highness." The teacher said_

_Vegeta straightened in his seat and used his tail to turn a few pages. He took a deep breath and began._

"_The Loupgaru: These creatures are the masters of disguise. They have the ability to transform back and forth between their humanoid and loupin form at will. They possess minimal power in their humanoid form, but are a formidable opponent in their loupin form. However, to even see a Loupgaru is rare. They are a very shy race, and tend to blend in with the other inhabitants of their home planet Earth. _

_Because of their extreme rarity, the Loupgaru uses its humanoid and loupin form as a way of disguising itself from its enemies. When trying to identify a Loupgaru from any normal human beign; there are three key things to look for._

_1. All Loupgaru are either a deep blue, white, or light blue in color. Very rarely does it occur, but a mixture of colors is possible, mostly found in the alpha families._

_2. Their coloring carries through in their humanoid form. Their hair and eyes will remain the same color no matter their transformation. Their ears will be slightly pointed and they will maintain a feral look even as a human._

_3. In their Loupin form, all Loupgaru have a humanoid form and function. Upon closer inspection of the paws. A loupin uses its elongated digits as fingers and its dew paw like a thumb; giving them the ability to grasp objects like they would in their humanoid form. They also have the ability to stand and walk for short distances on their hind legs; much like they would in their humanoid form. (picture Van Helsing, Hugh Jackman, in his werewolf form. That's how she moves about)_

_Loupgaru live in family units called packs; it is believed that when removed from their family unit a Loupgaru will die from lack of socialization, however, no such studies have ever been attempted……._

_End Flashback_

Vegeta's eyes Widened. 'The Bitch? No, It just can't be true.' He thought.

"Kakkarot, we are finished for the day."

"But Vegeta, its only 2100 hrs." Goku whined. (A/N: 9:00pm for those who don't know military time)

"Go find some way to entertain yourself. I have other matters that require my attention at present." And with that, Vegeta disappeared around the same corner the two women had moments before.

Goku shook his head knowingly before his stomach gave a loud rumble.

"Gee, I'm starved, I wonder whats going on in the mess hall."

As Goku made his way to the mess hall he pondered on one thing. 'I wonder how Vegeta is gonna take it when he finds out that the woman with Chi Chi was Bulma. Hmm, her voice and eyes were a dead give away. Oh well, guess I'll find out later. Ooh, is that steak I smell…. Gods I hope so. I'm sooo hungry.

Author's Note: Will Bulma and Chi Chi ever make it to their little Café for dinner? Will Vegeta come to terms with Bulma's being a Loupgaru? And will Goku ever get the steak he was hoping for? Find out in the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Painful Reunions_

_Bulma Drug Chi Chi out of the palace gates and past the two guards. She ignored their gasps and continued in the direction of the outer gates leading to the market. Chi Chi, not being able to handle being drug any longer yanked her wrist from Bulma's grasp and stopped walking all together. _

"_What's up?"_

"_Well, if you'd stop dragging me I'd be having fun, but as it is, my wrist is hurting me. What was all that about? Don't you know that Prince Vegeta could cause you some serious harm? I can't believe you talked to him like that. Actually, I'm surprised you're still alive. He usually kills people for disrespecting him." _

_Bulma just sighed and continued her trek across the outer grounds of the palace, until two large guards blocked their path. One of the guards she recognized from the banquet. Nappa, that was his name, she shuddered involuntarily. This was the guard that gave her the creeps. Her instincts telling her to high tail it out of there pronto._

"_So, what are two beautiful ladies such as yourselves heading off to? Don't you know its dangerous to leave the palace after nightfall?" The shorter guard rasped in a voice that sounded familiar to Bulma. Where had she seen that man before?_

"_We were just going for a walk. I was just about to show Bu…I mean my friend here around the village." Chi Chi tried, but was cut off._

"_Well, I don't thing you are going anywhere tonight, unless its to our rooms…hehe." Nappa smirked as he wagged his eyebrows at the two. Chi Chi and Bulma nearly gagged._

_Chi Chi immediately began her tirade of what Goku would do to him if he even laid a finger on the two girls, while Nappa tried desperately to apologize before she bashed his head in whith her frying pan of death, but Bulma couldn't shake the familiar feeling she got from the other guard. He didn't look Saiyajin, in fact, he almost looked… _

'_No, he couldn't be, could he?' It wasn't until Bulma locked eyes with the other guard that she recognized him. Her heart wrenched in her chest and she felt the air leave her lungs. It was her father's head guard. She had played under his supervision as a child. She was so overjoyed to see another of her kind she completely forgot her place, and approached him._

"_Kane?"_

_The smaller guard, who was still nearly twice her size, just stared at her in shock._

"_How do you know my name?"_

_Bulma looked from the still fighting Chi Chi and Nappa back to Kane before answering._

"_Kane, its me, Bulma, don't you remember me?"_

_Kane's countenance took a more pensive glare, and he studied her features as if he was trying to remember. Once he looked into her eyes, it all clicked into place and Bulma could see the memories flood his eyes like a rive, then take a more sinister glint._

'_Oh, Kami, please let him remember me.' She thought absently while staring at his rigid form. His body language signaling that she need be on guard. _

'_What is wrong with him?' She thought as the fine hairs at her nape began to stand on end._

"_Yes, I remember…"_

_Bulma's eyes grew large. She knew what was coming, even if Chi Chi and Nappa didn't. She had made a horrible mistake. He was going to try and take her over; Try and challenge her for the position of Alpha Loupgaru. He was going to challenge her in order to dominate her into being his mate. It was his instincts as a male, and she knew if she wanted to live, she had to fight. Kami help her if she lost._

_Vegeta marched through the palace corridors looking for the two women. He wasn't sure if his hunch had been correct, but if that little Bitch truly was what he believed her to be, then she was in great danger working for Frieza. If that lizard found out, there would be hell to pay. But one thing just didn't make sense. If the Loupgaru planet was destroyed nearly three years ago, then her story from earlier didn't make any sense. Why would she lie about how she had become part of Frieza's army? _

'_She doesn't trust you, just like you don't trust her.' His mind scolded him._

_Vegeta shook his head in irritation. There were too many questions that had been left unanswered and he intended to find out just exactly what was going on with the blasted female. Even if it took till morning. He had just passed through the palace gates and entered the courtyard when a loud ear piercing scream, Nappa's yell, and the most heart wrenching yelp filled his ears. He subconsciously knew what those sounds meant, and his feet moved of their own accord; carrying him closer to the sound. The sight that greeted him caused his heart to stop._

'_NO' Was the only thought Vegeta had time to register._

_Vegeta could only watch as the battle erupted. Saiyajins of all classes had circled around the two Loupgaru and were chanting them both on to victory. Chi Chi was being held at bay by Nappa's large hands, and there was blood; lots of blood._

"_YEELLLLP YELLLLP YELLLP"_

_Bulma's screams filled the night sky and Vegeta could only watch in horror as Bulma's thrashed form emerged from the ring of Saiyajin's. He watched as Bulma limped backward away from her aggressor with teeth bared and claws ready for battle. Her normally beautiful blue and white fur was now ratty, and matted with her own blood, and her muzzle had a large gash across it from where Kane's teeth had bitten her. Vegeta's eyes widened when the second Loupgaru emerged from the crowd. How could this ever be considered a fair fight; this Loupgaru was nearly two or three times Bulma's size and clearly had the experience of battle on his side. The size difference was incredible. The male that pursued her was nearly three times her size, and Vegeta couldn't help but admire Bulma's tenacity. How she had managed to last as long as she had against this behemoth of a Loupin was beyond him._

'_I cannot interfere.' Were his thoughts. He couldn't show weakness in front of his people. What kind of a prince would he be? He was supposed to be cold, ruthless, a killer, but he couldn't help her. His pride stood stronger than his desire to help, and all he could do was clench his fists in rage at his sides and watch the battle._

_Kane lunged at Bulma and they locked in a heated battle of teeth and claws. Flesh was torn, eyes were scratched, and fur was pulled out. Bulma was fighting a losing battle, her right hind leg was badly cut, and blood was seeping into her left eye fro a slash that took a chunk from her ear. She tried her best to stay out of Kane's reach, but he seemed to be everywhere at once. She couldn't let herself be take out. NO, she wouldn't let him win. She had tried to talk some sense into Kane, but he wouldn't listen. He had once been her guardian and friend, but now his motives were clear. He wanted her father's position in the pack and with her out of the way, there would be no stopping him. But he forgot one important thing, she was the daughter of the Alpha male, and as such, she maintained the dominant position. _

"_RAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGG"_

_Something inside her snapped and Bulma found herself under Kanes massive head with her teeth firmly imbedded in his neck. She could feel his pulse against her tongue and was aware of the fact that he was slowly dying of suffocation. She had him._

"_GASP, PANT, PANT, GASP"_

"_GRRRRRR,RRRRRR"_

_Bulma held tight as Kane tried in desperation to pry her from his neck. His massive paw was lying across her back as he tried to push away from her, but he knew as well as she did that his life was hers. Bulma could hear the Saiyajin's cheers for her to finish her rival as the battle drew to an end. However, she faltered when Kane fell to the ground at her feet convulsing due to the lack of oxygen in his body. His eyes were clouding over and Bulma's head cleared for a second._

'_What am I doing?' She thought as she relinquished her strangle hold, reared her head back and nearly threw herself from Kane's prone body. _

"_GASP, SIGH, PANT, PANT, PANT,"_

_The Saiyajin's that had surrounded the two fighters booed and hissed at her refusal to end the life of her opponent. However, she was not finished with him. Not by a long shot. She watched as Kane righted himself and stood on shaky legs to face her. His tail between his legs and looking less sure of himself. She put her head forward, bared her teeth and raised her tail straight in the air; a sign of dominance. She then walked over to Kane and swiped her paw right across the left side of his face leaving three nasty gashes across his eye. Those would scar nicely she mused as she growled low in her throat._

"_I'm giving you one chance to get the hell out of here Kane. You are now marked as a traitor and will be exiled from any Loupgaru pack you come in contact with. You are to live out the rest of your days as a loner. May Kami have mercy on your soul." Bulma spat as she lunged at him. This time, however, Kane didn't fight back. He yelped like a scared pup, and ran off with his tail between his legs never to be seen again. After chasing him so far Bulma stopped and gave a short snort before turning to face the crowd that had gathered to watch the fight._

"_What, you're not entertained? Surely you enjoyed watching us try and rip each other's throats out? So sorry to disappoint you. However, I assure you that I wouldn't hesitate to kill any one of you if you dare challenge me on the manner in which I choose to deal with my subordinates. Now if you'll excuse me." _

_The Saiyajin's didn't know what to do after seeing such blatant agression followed by mercy. They were dumbfounded. They had never seen one show mercy to another after they had blatantly tried to kill them. It wasn't their way, but somehow, despite that fact, Bulma had gained their respect. They had seen her transformation and were aware of what she was. Now it was up to Bulma to try and start a life among the Saiyajin's. She was also aware of the their reaction to her and could sense their approval of her actions. Bulma snorted as Chi Chi ran over and fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her neck in a fierce embrace._

"_I thought he was going to kill you, oh Bulma, I'm sorry I even brought you out here." She wept, and Bulma couldn't help but soften towards her friend. The fight was still in her and her veins were pumping with adrenaline, but despite her desire to shake Chi Chi off, she put her forepaw around her friends back and laid her head against hers in a sort of hug. _

"_Chi Chi, don't be sorry. I should have known better than to try and make friends. After my planet was destroyed all the Loupgaru were taken and sold as slaves, myself included. Kane was acting on instinct and I couldn't justify killing him for that. It's been a long time since I've even seen another Loupgaru. I nearly forgot myself. It was my mistake, not yours or even Kane's. I'm the one who should be apologizing." Bulma whispered _

"_What do you mean? Not his fault. That brute was the one who attacked you in the first place?" Chi Chi nearly raged, but Bulma's quick answer calmed her._

"_Loupgaru live in packs, and we have a higherarchy of sorts within those packs. There is an alpha mating pair and their cubs, and then there are the beta mating pair, and their pups, followed by the subordinate pack members. Every lunar cycle the males will challenge other males for a higher rank and the females will do likewise, thus a power shift is possible. The males also will challenge the females for mating rights. If the male wins the fight; the female becomes their mate. Because Kane knew I was next in line for the Alpha female spot, he thought that he could weasel his way into the Alpha male spot by challenging me. He was acting on instinct, and because of that, I cannot fault him. So you see, it was my fault for acknowledging the acquaintance; not his."_

_Bulma's vague description of her races political and mating rituals left Chi Chi slightly confused, but she tried to understand the best she could, and what she did gather from what Bulma had told her made sense._

"_So he was trying to prove he was stronger than you to win your affections and possible have you choose him as a mate?"_

"_Something like that" Bulma laughed, but winced when the gash in her side pulled._

_Chi Chi noticed her pain, and tried to help her to the medical dept., but Bulma's shier mass made it very difficult. The journey from the courtyard to the gates of the palace took nearly fifteen minutes, and she could tell that Bulma was having a great deal of trouble staying conscious due to the blood loss._

'_I have to get help. She's not going to make it to a rejuvenation chamber if I don't.' Chi Chi thought as she caught a glimpse of red headed straight for the pair. As the figure drew closer Chi Chi had to stifle a gasp of surprise._

"_Prince Vegeta!" _

_Vegeta didn't acknowledge Chi Chi as he bent down and scooped Bulma's battered form in his arms. He glanced down at her once before lifting off the ground and flying to the palace's medical room._

"_Thank… you."_

"_Why are you thanking me. I'm just trying to keep you from bleeding all over my home trying to get to the med station." Vegeta growled in agitation. He could feel her blood seeping through his body suit and the feeling was uncomfortable to say the least. Once they arrived at the med station Vegeta laid her down on one of the steel carts, and ordered the doctor to take a look at her. The doctor quickly gathered the supplies he needed and began the daunting task of checking her wounds. _

"_Well, she'll live, but her wounds can't be healed by the rejuvenation chamber I'm afraid." The doctor said as he began stitching up a particularly large gash on her shoulder. Bulma whimpered in pain and raised her head slightly to see what he was doing to her, but Vegeta put his hand on her head and pressed it to the cart gently stroking lightly as he talked to the doctor._

"_What do you mean? The rejuvenation chamber can heal nearly ever species known! Why can't it heal her?" _

"_Because your highness, her species is one of the rarest in the galaxy. We were unable to get a sample of Loupgaru DNA to enter into the RC's database. We can use hers, but it won't help her this time around." The doctor said as he moved to the gash on her back right leg._

"_YELP!! That hurts you dick, watch it before I bite your hand off." Bulma raged from under Vegeta's gloved hand. His presence was somewhat of a comfort to her, but she couldn't completely block out the pain. She screwed her eyes shut trying to focus on anything else as the doctor attempted to sew her up without so much as a local. Vegeta noticed this and grabbed the doctors hand and nearly dragging him over the cart to glare at him._

"_You're meaning to patch her up without so much as a local? She can FEEL you moron, fix her, and keep her pain to a minimum. I don't want to listen to her infernal whimpering all night long. Vegeta roared at the doctor who by now was shaking in his scrubs._

"_Yes your highness, I'm sorry, where was my head?" _

_Vegeta released the doctor and he immediately prepared a needle full of Novocain for Bulma's other gashes._

_Vegeta stood at her head and watched the doctor work with a clinical eye. Bulma couldn't help herself. Vegeta had nearly saved her life, and was making sure that the doctor was treating her like any normal patient. Subconsciously her tail began a slow wag, and she started licking Vegeta's hand that was resting on the cart by her muzzle. _

'_What the??'_

_Vegeta peered down at Bulma and was surprised to see that she was licking his hand. He softened a bit towards her, but nothing showed on his countenance. He merely picked his hand up and began stroking her face and head. For some reason the motion seemed to soothe him, and from what he could tell, it was soothing her as well. _

'_I'm getting soft. What is wrong with me. So this Bitch isn't just a Bitch anymore, so what? She's still the same annoying, loud mouthed, harpy from before. What's changed?' Vegeta pondered as he watched the doctor wrap the bandages around her body then place her back in his arms._

"_She should be fine in a few days. The bandages will need regular changing at least once a day, and her wounds need to be cleaned frequently to avoid infection. Other than that, she should rest for the next two to three days so her wounds can heal. I have the sample I'll need for the RC, and if she's not 100 in two days, we should be able to place her in the tank to hurry her along. Now, make sure to keep an eye on her your highness. If those bandages start to seep blood too much, she may need to come back for more stitches." The doctor ordered as he placed his instructions in Vegeta's hand and watched the irritated monarch exit through the sliding doors._

"_You're more trouble than you're worth, you know that Bitch?"_

_Bulma was still drowsy from all the sedatives and didn't feel like responding; so she just gave a halfhearted wag of her tail. _

"_You don't even give a damn do you? I've wasted precious training time taking care of your sorry, Bitch Ass. You damn well better be grateful" Vegeta grumbled as he shouldered open the doors to his chambers._

_Bulma surveyed his room from the comfort of his arms, wait, comfort of his arms? She shook her head. His room was similar to hers, but his entire room was black and white. The walls were white with black trim, and his bed was decorated with a black comforter and sheets. Even his furniture was black. She felt so out of place, not a hint of blue anywhere. She was surprised when Vegeta set her down carefully at the foot of his bed and looked up at him questioningly. As if he could read her mind he answered._

"_You are too injured to stay in your own quarters alone, the doctor seems to think you need supervision. Personally I would rather you stay in your own quarters and chance it, but seeing as how your life would mean my head, I'm stuck with you. There are a few ground rules however, no pissing in my room. "_

_That earned a snort and irritated look from Bulma, but he continued._

"_No touching my things, and if you shed or drool on my shit I will rip your fur and tongue out, got it? He growled as he vanished into the bathroom only to emerge moments later with nothing on but his boxers._

_Bulma blushed a deep crimson, again thanking Kami she was not in her human form, and watched as he unceremoniously threw the covers back and dropped onto the bed before covering himself up. After seeing that he was probably asleep, Bulma let out a huge yawn and tried to snuggle into the soft comforter, but found the chilly night air a little unsettling. Having lost a lot of blood, she was having a hard time maintaining her body temp. and because of such events decided to risk her life._

'_Please don't wake up' She thought as she slowly and painfully crawled up beside Vegeta and laid her head on his chest. He stirred for a moment, but settled when her movements ceased. 'Phew, that was close'_

_Vegeta cracked an eye when he felt a foreign body pressed against his side, and a new pressure on his chest._

'_Blasted Bitch, she just doesn't listen.' He thought angrily_

_Vegeta was about to throw her off when she cuddled closer to his body for warmth. He sighed and placed his arm around her neck and began to lightly stroke her fur. Her eyes shot open and she stared into his eyes in confusion._

"_I thought you'd be mad at me."_

"_I don't enjoy having you invade my space Bitch, but I know what its like to suffer from sever blood loss. I'll let you this one time, got it?"_

"_Yes, I get it. Thank you, again Vegeta."_

"_Humph, now go to sleep, and remember, if you drool on me I'll kill you."_

"_For your information, I don't drool."_

"_Just shut up and go to sleep."_

_Bulma closed her eyes and relished in the feel of his gloveless hand caressing her neck and head. The guards on Frieza's ship loved to give her a quick pet here or a scratch behind the ears there, but she had to admit; Vegeta was good. She could lay and let him stroke her fur forever, if he would. That thought scared her. She was used to being on her own, and didn't want to get too attached to anyone. It was common knowledge among her kind that only a Loupgaru with a very strong mind and body could withstand losing their entire pack and not go insane, and Bulma had just barely survived losing her family the first time. She didn't need to form a pack bond with the Saiyajins and have to suffer the pain of separation all over again when Frieza returned to claim her. No, she wouldn't let her emotions rule her, she wouldn't, but she knew. Deep down, that she was only kidding herself._

'_I care for him. I care for Chi Chi and Goku. Hell, I've seen Vegeta naked'_

"_What the hell is so funny, Bitch?"_

"_Nothing, just remembering something that happened earlier today."_

"_Humph"_

'_I was laughing out loud. Man, gotta be more careful.'_

_Bulma tilted her head on Vegeta's bare chest and had the sudden urge to feel it under her palm. She put her ears back and inwardly berated herself for having those kind of thoughts towards the surly Saiyajin prince. Her mind wouldn't leave her be, and she couldn't help herself._

'_Just this once. Besides, I want to see the look on his face'_

_Bulma carefully removed her body from next to Vegeta's and after making sure he was sound asleep, limped over to his bureau. She opened the drawer with her teeth and selected a black beater and grey boxers from his drawer. Laughing to herself she let her transformation slip and painfully donned the clothes she had selected. She then crawled back into bed and curled up to Vegeta's prone form. He stirred momentarily, and mumbled something about stupid Bitches and not knowing when to go to sleep before curling his arm back around her and stroking her hair._

'_At least my hair is long enough to keep him from realizing that I'm not a Loupin anymore.' Bulma laughed to herself as she allowed her body to relax against Vegeta's. She ran her hand across his smooth chest and tucked her face into the crook of his neck and chin. If she was going to have to sleep next to him, she might as well get comfortable, right? Slowly her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep. _

_Just down the hall, a dark figure searched Bulma's room and nearly screamed in frustration at finding her gone. The figure turned and opened the windows to her balcony and leapt from there to the ground. They would find her, reveal her secrets to the King, and then Their revenge would be complete. Little did the figure know that the secret had already been revealed._

_Author's Note: What will happen when Vegeta wakes up to find a beautiful woman curled next to him instead of a wolf-like creature? Who is this dark figure and what secrets is he trying to reveal? And whatever happened to Goku and Chi Chi? Find out in the next chapter._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Complications

A/N: Things are going to pick up from here I promise. I just hope I can maintain this fic. I'm honestly suffering from a bit of writer's block right now. I could use some help. Sigh, I just can't think when its soo nice outside. I just bought a new skateboard and am currently breaking it in with my dog Pilot. HEHE, he just loves to pull. Well, anyway, on to the next chapter. I'm really eager to see what you guys think. Again, thanks to those who have reviewed and your continued support.

Vegeta cracked an eye against the bright morning sun then closed it immediately.

'I hate the fuckin sun.'

He tried to roll away from the offensive rays, but something warm on his chest prevented any such movement. Looking down he realized that where a certain beast once rested now laid a beautiful woman, who, as an after thought was wearing his clothes. His face registered shock and a plethora of other emotions as the questions from the day before came crashing back to the front of his mind. He gently stroked her hair and prayed to whatever deity was out there that she didn't wake. No such luck.

'SHIT'

Vegeta watched as Bulma stirred next to him and had to suppress a moan when her leg crossed over his and she snuggled closer to him. Her face tucked innocently under his chin and her hand resting on his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment and prayed that what was happening was nothing more than a nightmare, but upon reopening his eyes and seeing her beautiful form fitted perfectly against his; Vegeta knew he had been undone.

'Beautiful' He thought as he nuzzled her head with his own and ran his thumb across her cheek as he studied her new form. He had been certain there was more to Bulma's than what she had been letting on. Her eyes were almost human in their appearance and her intelligence shone through. Yes, there was more to her story than what she had confessed to him in the bathtub.

'THE BATHTUB!! AWWW, BLOODY HELL!!' He screamed in his mind as a faint blush crept across his cheeks. 'She's never going to let me live that down' He growled as he glared down at the top of her head.

"You are definitely more trouble than you're worth woman" He ground out in a half sleep rasp.

"So are you, but you don't hear me complaining"

Vegeta's eyes shot open as he glared down into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. In her Loupgaru form her blue eyes were not as noticeable, but now, they were breathtakingly beautiful. No, he wouldn't think of her that way. She was a servant for Frieza and he had to remember that. She was not to be trusted.

"Humph, well, seems that you're just full of surprises aren't you. What else have you been keeping a secret woman? Now I know why Frieza wanted to keep you in one form. It makes it easier to keep tabs on you." He growled as he shoved her body away from his roughly.

"AHH, tsssss, ouch, that hurt Vegeta, watch it."

What was this feeling that suddenly wrenched his gut? Regret? Guilt? He had never experienced either emotion, but seeing how he had caused the woman harm; he felt it. He couldn't help but notice the blood seeping through the bandage on her shoulder where he had pushed her, and the doctor's words came to mind.

"Come on, we have to go."

"Where are we going? I can't very well go anywhere dressed like this now can I?" Bulma protested as she motioned to his beater and boxers.

"Not my problem. You're bleeding through your bandages so you have to return to medical."

Vegeta made a motion to pick her up, but Bulma's stubborn attitude kicked in and she scooted further towards the center of the bed away from him causing him to lose balance and fall onto the bed in front of her. He glared up at her and grabbed her good arm gently. She eyed him suspiciously and pulled against his hand.

"I can take care of myself you know?" She said as she attempted to pry Vegeta's fingers from around her muscular forearm.

He growled in irritation and pulled her into him. Bulma flew across the bed with the force of his pull and found herself being cradled like a small child in his strong embrace. She couldn't help the faint blush that crept to her cheeks, but was glad that Vegeta seemed too distracted to notice as he gently picked her up and carried her out of the room. She could hear his bare feet against the marble floor and shuddered to think how cold it must feel. She then cast a shy glance at his face. His jaw was clenched tight and a muscle twitched every so often. His mouth was drawn into a rather fierce scowl and he had a determined look in his eyes. She couldn't help herself from reaching up and trying to caress the harshness from his face.

Vegeta tensed when he felt her cool hand against his heated flesh. He cast her a harassed look, but said nothing as he continued on to the medical wing. He'd be damned if he let her see what she was doing to him. He doubted she even knew herself, but her soft touch had the desired effect as his face softened slightly and he halfheartedly glared down at her.

"Stop it." He rumbled softly to her as he raised his head away from her hand. She let it fall and stared openly at him.

"What?" He asked as he noticed the confusion dancing in her eyes.

She shook her head and looked down at the floor. "Nothing" She answered

Bulma was feeling anxious. Her heart was beating nearly a mile a minute and she had no idea how to stop it. Vegeta's actions were completely out of character for him and her Loupgaru mind was registering his actions as affection, not duty. She began to squirm uncomfortably in his arms and before long found herself changing back into her Loupin form and leaping from his arms painfully.

"What's your problem Wench?" Vegeta spluttered as he tried to figure out why one minute he had been enjoying the warmth and affections of a beautiful woman in his arms, and the next he was staring down at her in dog form.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking to the doctor. Besides, I would prefer it if not everyone in the palace were aware of my abilities to morph." She growled defensively.

Vegeta snapped out of the trance he had been under previously and growled fierily at her.

"Alright then, have it your way, you can sleep in your own quarters tonight, and don't come whining to me ever again!" He roared as he turned and stormed off down the halls in the direction of the training room.

Bulma let out a frustrated sigh before shaking her head and limping of towards the med. Wing.

"That man is insufferable." She thought as she leveled her ears against her head and squared her body out of indignation. "I mean, who does he think he is?" She slowed her pace till she found herself sitting alone in the hall.

'He was unusually kind to me this morning.' She thought

'_Probably because you weren't in your Loupin form. How could he resist a beautiful woman. No one wants a scrawny little mutt.' _Her mind fired back

She had to agree. He was terribly mean to her in her Loupin form, and she wasn't about to let herself be fooled into thinking Vegeta liked her for who she was when it was obvious that he only cared about her once he found out she was not just a "Bitch" as he called her.

"I'm such an idiot"

"Don't say that. I think you're really smart, I mean you can talk! How many dogs can boast about that?"

Bulma spun around at the sound of another's voice.

"Goku!" She yiped happily. "I haven't seen you since earlier last night. What are you doing right now?"

Goku thought for a moment and Bulma just rolled her eyes. He had actually forgotten what he was supposed to be doing, the big lug!

"OH YEAH, I was going to go see if Vegeta wanted to spar, but I stopped to say hi to you!"

Bulma smiled at his childlike innocence and shook her head. "Do you feel like accompanying me to the medical wing? I need to see about getting a few more stitches."

Goku's smile immediately fell, and his face paled in horror. Bulma took a step forward out of concern.

"Goku, are you alright?"

"Umm, I have to go, ya know, I mean, I shouldn't be keeping Vegeta waiting, and uhh, uhh, yeah, well, good luck with the stitches, see ya later B."

Bulma watched in complete bafflement as Goku tore off down the hall. "Well, looks like I'm on my own on this one." She laughed to herself as she made her way to the med wing once again.

"This is the place." She mused as she used her head to open the flap doors off to the side reserved for emergency entrance. She didn't feel like fighting with the other set of doors that seemed a little too heavy for her injured shoulder to budge.

"Hey, Doc. You in here?" Bulma called out, but was greeted by another Saiyajin that looked almost exactly like Goku.

"I'm afraid doctor Chawha is out right now. What brings you here?" The man asked as he concentrated on sewing up his own knee.

Bulma blanched at the sight. "How can you do that to yourself? Doesn't that hurt, or at least feel weird?"

The man laughed heartily as he shook his head and held up the numbing solution she remembered from her last visit to the med. Unit.

"Oh, I see. Do you patch yourself up here often?" She asked as she sat on the gurney to his right.

"Only when the doc. Has the day off." He studied her shoulder for a moment before snipping the string and wrapping a bandage around his leg.

"You should let me patch that up before you get an infection."

Bulma cast him a wary glance before shrugging and nipping the bandage off to reveal a very nast gash that had been only half way sewn up. The man shook his head in disapproval, and quickly set about numbing her shoulder and sewing her up properly. When he had finished and was wrapping the bandage around her shoulder Bulma liked his face out of gratitude. The man just laughed and ruffled her neck fur and head before standing to put his supplies away.

"Thank you, uhhh…"

"Bardock." He said as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"Bardock, yes, thank you for fixing me up. I really do appreciate it." She said as she wagged her tail as if to show her approval.

"My son told me about you. You're just as sweet as he said you were. It's nice to finally meet you little one."

"Son? Oh, you must be Kakkarot's father! It's nice to meet you too. So tell me, what do you do? Are you a palace guard, is that how you got that cut?"

"HAHA, No, I'm the lead scientist. I dropped a hack saw on myself when I was trying to do too much at one time."

"Lead Scientist! Can I come with you? I'm not to bad at it myself." Bulma asked her tail picking up speed causing her entire body to wiggle with its force.

"Hmmm, alright, I don't see the harm. But, you have to wear these."

Bardock produced a pair of constriction glasses and placed them over her eyes. She laughed at the absurdity of it all, but complied with his wishes as she followed him out of the medical wing and down towards the science labs.

'Now I can see what these Saiyajin's are working so diligently on creating. Frieza will just flip when I tell him how easy it was to get down here.' Bulma thought impishly. It was all a game to her. She didn't know it, but she would soon realize the type of hell she had really been saved from by not being within Frieza's reach.

"Here it is, my home away from home, as it were."

The doors slid to the side after scanning both Bardock's finger prints and retinas. The sight that greeted her actually made her drool. She was in heaven and she didn't want to leave. Bardock motioned her to follow and she readily complied. She followed him to a large room with glass walls. Inside, were three Saiyajins wearing three different types of armor, and there were three other Saiyajins that were performing different tests on the armor.

"We are trying to improve the armor's elasticity, durability, and form, without compromising its main components. Without this armor, any transformation we undergo will leave us completely defenseless in battle." Bardock explained.

Moving on he led her to a part of the lab that had been sectioned off.

"Here is where I do most of my work." He explained as she greeted one of the guards that had been stationed outside its main entrance.

Inside Bulma nearly fainted. There were blue prints everywhere and pieces of unfinished models. She looked at him in confusion. Why was his work station in such shambles.

"What are you trying to accomplish here that seems to be so elusive?" She asked as she placed her front paws on one of his desks to look over his plans.

"Sigh, I'm having a hard time coming up with something to help prince Vegeta attain Legendary status. We just don't have anything that can really provide a decent challenge for him. I've tried training bots, but he just thrashes them like they were children's toys. I'm at a loss here." Bardock growled as he pounded his fist on the desk and threw one of the models against the opposite wall. Bulma jumped in surprise, but continued to study all his plans, and she had to admit, the one's he'd come up with that Vegeta destroyed were actually pretty good for a race that was not known for their intelligence. No offense to the Saiyajins, but it was a known fact. They were warriors, and that was that.

"I think I can help. My father was a scientist, and he let me help him in the labs when I was bored. Here, hand me that pencil and a fresh piece of paper."

Bardock shrugged as he placed a fresh sheet of large blue paper in front of her and placed a rather large pencil on the desk.

"I really hope you can help. Frieza has been breathing down the prince's neck for months. He's trying to coerce him into returning to purging planets, but the prince is reluctant to. That monster really did a number on him the last time, and I think the prince is about fed up with the torture." Bardock said absently as he fidgeted with one of the other models on the desk.

"Torture? What do you mean?" Bulma gasped as she stared at Bardock with the pencil still wedged between her teeth.

"Frieza took the prince when he was five and "trained" him till about three years ago. He sent him on planet purging missions, and beat him into submission if he refused. Vegeta nearly died after the last purging mission, and Frieza had no other choice but the allow his return to planet Vegeta-sei for recovery. Now that he's in perfect health, Frieza wants him back, but we all are reluctant for him to go without having something to take with him."

Bulma continued to draw on her sheet of paper as she listened to Bardocks story. She knit her brow in anger as she thought of the way Frieza had treated her friend. Friend? Is that what he was? She glared at the paper before her. She couldn't lose focus. She wanted to help Vegeta in any way she could, and if his people believed he could defeat Frieza after becoming the Legendary, whatever that was, then she would do everything in her power to help. Her ears ticked and twitched as she worked and her tail swished two and fro as she did the math in her head. If her calculations were correct, the Saiyajins could recreate her training droids, and Gravity Simulator. This would be perfect. Spitting the pencil at Bardocks head and missing terribly she watched as he turned to face her. His amusement was evident as she nosed her blueprints his way for inspection.

"Alright, lets see what you've got." Bardock mused as he looked at her sloppily drawn blueprints. His eyes widened and he stared at her in shock. There she sat in all her glory, tail swinging excitedly behind her and her body tense with anticipation. He looked at the blueprint and then back to her a couple of times; unable to form words.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked, afraid he was going to turn her down.

"You, my little furry companion, are a genius. We have to find the prince and show him these plans. If he give us the go ahead then we can start construction right away." Bardock said as he snatched her off the bar stool and held her in a headlock to give her the mother of all noogies.

Bulma had forgotten what it was like to have friends, and even more how it felt to know her creations were going to be used for good. All thoughts of Frieza and his damn mission had been thrown out the window when Bardock had shown his approval and rocked her with his rough affection. She had found her new family and she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

"Here, take these to the prince then tell me when we are to start production." Bardock said as he rolled the sheets up and placed them in a hard canister and placed it around her. (Think satchel bag style with the tube on her back)

She ran, as fast as her paws could carry her, she ran. She skidded around corners, nearly knocked over a couple guards, and skidded to a halt in front of the training room. She slammed the doors open and watched in amusement as she gained the attention of ever single occupant including Vegeta.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU"RE DOING, BITCH?" He roared at her as he stalked up to tower over her. Bulma was taken back by his suddenly harsh tone, but it didn't spoil her excitement.

"Can I talk to you for just one minute. Trust me, it's definitely something you're going to be interested in." She said as she jumped up once then spun around in excitement.

Rolling his eyes Vegeta stormed past her out into the hallway. She followed quickly and darted after him. Stopping a few feet away from the training room doors.

"NO, NO, we have to go somewhere private. I know, lets go to your room."

"What the hell is so important that you need privacy for it? Just tell, or show me what it is and I'll tell you whether its important enough to interrupt my training." Vegeta raged as he grabbed the nape of her neck roughly and jerked her around for a minute.

"Ouch, hey that hurt you jerk! Humph! If you want to see it I'll be in your room" She growled before running off down the hall. Vegeta watched in amusement as she struggled the entire way to keep traction on the marble floors, and wondered briefly how many walls she'd slammed into trying to get to the training room as fast as she had.

"Sigh, this Bitch is going to be the end of me." And with that Vegeta headed towards his bedroom; his curiosity burning through to the surface. He really did wish to see what had made the Bitch excited enough to act like a bumbling idiot.

Upon reaching his chambers, he found that she had left the doors open for him. He entered and nearly blew a gasket when he saw the state of his room. She had blue papers strewn everywhere and be noticed belatedly that there were black oil paw prints all over his pristine white carpet. He glared at her from the doorway. She was going to die.

She looked up from her position on the floor, and grinned. She was standing with her hind legs and had her front legs bent so she could get a better look at her blueprints.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS ALL THIS? YOU'RE LIKE A FUCKING HURRICANE!! MY ROOM IS TRASHED!" He raged as he gestured to the floor and the rest of his room. Bulma looked around then lifted a paw to her face and looked at the bottoms. Sure enough, there was a thin layer of oil sticking to the white fur between her toes, and she laughed nervously in the wake of his rage.

"I'm really sorry, ok? But look, just look at what I drew up for you?" She said as she grabbed the blueprints with her teeth and ran over to shove them in his face. She stood on her hind legs and braced herself on his waist with her front paws while dangling the blue prints from her mouth in front of his face. He accepted them and she returned to a sitting position before him and waited.

"The gravity can go as high as 1500, and I can make it so the walls will absorb and deflect your ki blasts. I also designed some battle droids to do the exact same thing and even put in a randomizer option for a more realistic training session. The Gravity room can double as a ship so you can train while you travel, if you like, and I even have it capsule capable. See, See, I told you you'd be impressed."

Vegeta's reaction was the same as Bardocks, minus the show of affection.

"When can you have it finished?"

"All of what I just told you will take about two weeks to finish, given I have enough help. Bardock should…"

"BARDOCK! He let you into the labs?! I'll kill that little Bastard" Vegeta raged as he whirled to exit the bedroom and make good on his threat. Bulma panicked and threw herself in front of Vegeta and used her head to try and push him back as she pled her case.

"NOOO, you can't. He was the one who patched my shoulder, and I asked him to show me. I'm a technological genius, Vegeta. I just wanted to help. I didn't know I would cause so much trouble, Honest. Please let him be. He was just as excited about this as I am. He was the one who wanted me to come show you."

Unfortunately for Vegeta, in Bulma's desperation to save her friend from certain death her head came crashing into contact with his groin. The one thing that had saved Bardock from a slow and painful death was the fact that Vegeta couldn't move. He was paralyzed with mortification. Despite the fact that she was in her Loupin form, Vegeta's mind was picturing her in her human form, and that was not a good thing. He felt a sudden stirring in his groin and roared in frusteration and horror as he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and threw her across the room. Stunned by the sudden movement, Bulma didn't have time to right herself before she collided with the bureau and crashed to the floor with it falling on top of her. She let out a strangled yelp of pain and continued to do so as she tried desperately to get he heavy piece of furniture off of her injured shoulder.

'Vegeta, please, Kami it hurts, please get this thing off me, please." She pleaded as she whimpered in pain.

He snapped out of his stupor and rushed to aid her. He hadn't meant to harm her, she was just, well, she had, oh to hell with it. He lifted the bureau with ease and placed it back against the wall. He then knelt down and hefted her prone form into his arms and headed towards the med wing for the second time that day.

"De ja vu." Bulma groaned as she dangled from Vegeta's arms dog style. She would have much rather preferred the way he had carried her before, but she had been in her human form then. It would be a little akward for him to carry her that way as she was now. She sighed in resignation and pain as he pushed his way through the huge doors. He set her down on a gurney and began fidgeting with one of the huge pod like machines that lined that back wall.

"What, are, those?" She gasped in pain

He didn't turn to face her, nor did he answer as he scrolled through a list of what appeared to be alien races. He stopped on one, hit a few buttons, and returned to stand before her. He looked a little uncertain, and opened and shut his mouth a few times before actually speaking.

"I'm going to place you in the R.C., but you have to transform back into your human form. The oxygen mask won't fit to your muzzle as you are." He said

Bulma stared at him in a mixture of pain and mortification. She didn't have any clothes with her, and if she were to change back to her human form she'd be completely naked. She shook her head and cast him a pleading look. He merely shrugged in mock apathy.

"Well, its not like you haven't seen me naked before, or have you forgotten? I think it'd only be fair." He smirked at her look of complete and total mortification, then sobered as he watched blood trickle down the left side of her body.

"Look, unless you wish to die, you better do as I say. You've damaged yourself to the point that unless I place you into this chamber you may very well die. That shoulder will never heal at the rate you're going. I'm not going to ask you again. If you don't turn now, I'm out of here and you'll have to figure this out on your own, you got it?" He admonished.

Bulma shook her head and Vegeta turned around. She smiled at his back in gratitude before allowing her transformation to slip and she was human once more.

Vegeta turned back around and gathered her naked form in his arms. She watched in gratitude and awe as he tried his hardest not to even look at her below her face. He set her into the R.C. and placed the mask on her face. He leaned back out and pressed the button to seal the hatch and Bulma looked down to see a bluish liquid begin to fill the chamber. She suddenly began to feel claustrophobic and her eyes grew large. She looked out to find Vegeta and when she didn't see him there she began to panic.

'I'm in a room, totally naked, and there's a blue fluid filling this pod that isn't even big enough to stretch my arms out straight. I have to get out of here. Screw quick healing.'

She began to thrash in the liquid and she could faintly hear the beeping of the system outside her pod. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm as the liquid engulfed her entirely. She was trapped, and she didn't like it. Suddenly there was a tap on the glass in front of her and she carefully opened her eyes.

"Calm down little one, there's nothing to be afraid of" Came the soothing Voice of Bardock. Bulma was slightly embarrassed and tried to cover herself as best she could. He noticed this and sat with his back facing her against the tank.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep, ok? The tank will be releasing a calming solution into the healing liquid because of all that thrashing you did. You'll be asleep soon." He said when he noticed her shaking her head as if to ward off the effects of the serum.

She nodded her head as a thanks and settled back down into her seat. Her long blue hair covered all of her important parts nicely and she was grateful she hadn't yet cut it off. She could feel the darkness begin to consume her and she welcomed it; she embraced the darkness and fell into a deep sleep.

"What are you doing here?" Vegeta growled fierily at Bardock as he noticed the older Saiyajin watching Bulma sleep in the R.C. and checking her vitals. He turned to face his prince and smirked knowingly at him.

"She was gone longer than I had thought necessary. I came to search for her and heard the pods alarm going off. I stepped in to see what all the fuss was about and here she was nearly having a fucking heart attack." Bardock growled as he stared pointedly at Vegeta.

"Hm, so what. The chamber calmed her down didn't it?"

Bardock shook his head angrily. "You should have stayed with her until she was completely submerged. Don't you remember you first time in the R.C. ? You were just as terrified as she was. The only difference was that your father stayed with you to ease your fears. You left her alone to fend for herself. Nice."

Vegeta stared past Bardock to Bulma's prone form. He had forgotten his first time, and by the way she had been acting up to being placed into the tank he had assumed she would be fine. He glanced back to Bardock and nodded.

"You may leave. I'll take it from here." He growled. Eager to get Bardock away from Bulma for some strange reason. He walked to the pod and placed his hand on the glass before turning to take Bardocks spot next to the R.C. He leaned his head back and was about to go to sleep when a certain voice rang through the air and he had to stifle the urge to run and hide.

"Vegeta? Oh, Vegeta, where are you. I know you're around here somewhere."

"Please, not." He moaned as he banged his head on the pod and glanced up at Bulma for a moment.

"There you are, I was wondering where you'd gotten to… WHO THE HELL IS SHE?!" Lauri gasped when she saw Bulma's human form floating in the R.C. Vegeta smirked. He was really going to have fun with this. The woman owed him, or was it the other way around? He didn't care, all he wanted was to get Lauri away from him pronto, and he knew just how to do it.

"She's that Bitch you accosted the other night. Remember?"

"Vegeta, we are intended for one another, and if this Bitch becomes a problem… I'm going to have to tell your father."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA, tell my father will you, HAHAHAHAHA, That's a good one. I'll have you know that this little Bitch has enough sense in her head to have you put to death for treason."

'Lets see how she handles that little chestnut of information' He thought wickedly

Lauri stammered for a few moments before giving him a puzzled look.

'She's a great liar'

"I have no idea what you are talking about Vegeta." Lauri said as she backed away from Vegeta and against some of the medical carts. He advanced on her; fully intent on humiliating her before throwing her to the "Wolves" so to speak. He placed his hands on the table on either side of her and glared into her obviously aroused face. Her smell was putrid, and he could scent at least three other males on her. He felt his gag reflex kick in, but suppressed it. He needed to teach Lauri a lesson on respecting those superior to herself.

"She obviously is a human, and she is capable of cognitive thoughts, but she has senses just the same as a Saiyajin, and she can smell the men on you from a mile away, as can I." He growled dangerously as he left the threat hanging in her face.

"Your father wouldn't believe you for a second. He'd think you were merely trying to get out of our engagement." She said as she tried to get away from Vegeta's penetrating stare. He was beginning to scare her.

"He might not believe me, but he'd certainly believe her. She can talk you know." He rasped, letting the gravity of the situation sink into her thick skull.

Lauri knew all to well that she'd been caught, but she wasn't about to give up without a fight. She looked past Vegeta to see Bulma stirring in the fluid and grinned evily.

'So, you want that blue haired bitch do ya? Well, lets see if she wants you after this?' Lauri thought as she pulled Vegeta close and kissed him passionately. She grabbed his groin and fondled it for a moment before reaching behind to grab his tight ass. Vegeta was so shell shocked he couldn't more for nearly ten seconds. When he could he threw Lauri off him causing her to land on one of the gurneys. She struck a seductive pose as he advanced on her.

Meanwhile in the R.C. unit Bulma began to stir; unaware of the little conflict going on the other side of the glass.

'Ugh, what's wrong with my head? I feel weird.' She questioned as she placed her hand over her eyes. She shook her head a few times to try and clear it, but that didn't help. Her head was fuzzy, and she was having a hard time focusing her thoughts. Her instincts were on full alert, and she had the sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the synthetic DNA coursing through her veins. She raised her head as she heard a startled grunt, and what she saw made her blood boil. Lauri and Vegeta were making out on the gurney right in front of her. It felt like someone had just squeezed all the air out of her lungs and punched her in the gut. Anger, grief, jealousy, and betrayal swirled around in her head, but even those emotions were clouded over by a singular desire. The instinctual desire to rip Lauri apart. She was startled from her foggy thoughts by a high pitched beeping, and watched as the liquid drained from the R.C. and she was released. Because of her reaction to the fluid, Bulma thought it best to return to her Loupin form. She didn't think she could face Vegeta any other way after what she had witnessed.

'You are going to die for that one Bitch' Vegeta roared in his head as he formed a ki ball in his hands, but he paused as he heard the beep from the R.C. signaling the end of Bulma's healing cycle. He turned to her and had to hold back as he watched her emerge from the tank in her Loupin form. She had her ears plastered to her head, tail between her legs and tears streaking down her fluffy fur. She had to have seen everything, and he knew how it must have looked to her. She turned to go and he couldn't stop himself from calling out to her.

"Bulma, Wait!" He ordered as he strode over to her. She had a funny look in her eyes he couldn't place.

Bulma tried to focus on Vegeta, but her mind was being clouded over by her Loupin instincts. She had made a grave error in choosing to transform when she had. Apparently the transformation only caused her symptoms to intensify. She was losing touch with reality, and was fighting a losing battle for her sanity.

'Dear kami, what is happening to me?' She thought before she blacked out.

He reached out to touch her and she struck. She sunk her teeth into his gloved hand and shook it like a rag doll before letting go and bearing her teeth at him. He stood stock still letting the blood flow freely from his demolished hand. He had deserved that. He knew what she had seen and how it looked, and in her mind she was truly justified by her actions. He would have acted the same way and he shuddered at the thought of seeing her with another man. He tried to reach for her again, but her voice stalled him.

"Don't fucking touch me or I swear on my father's grave I'll rip your throat out." She growled. Never before had she actually threatened to kill someone, but at that exact moment she wanted to. She wanted to kill someone. Her instincts were raging war with her rational mind and winning, she fought to maintain control, but she kept blacking out. She would have never bitten Vegeta if she was in her right mind, but right now she felt so confused. The darkness consumed her and she could no longer think clearly.

A look of pure panic swept across her face before her eyes went completely blank. Vegeta noticed her panicked expression immediately, and saw the life go from her eyes then flutter back for a brief moment. He didn't know what was going on, but whatever was happening to her had to be prevented. He watched as she shook here head violently and yelped in pain.

"What's wrong. Tell me." He ordered as he grasped the sides of her face and forced her to look at him. What he saw broke his heart. Her beautiful blue eyes were changing. They were turning more feral, taking on the look of a true wolf instead of the intelligence that proved her more than a mere animal. He knew that look, for he'd seen it in his fellow Saiyajin's upon their first oozaru transformation. She was losing her mind. He had to do something, anything.

"Bulma, look at me." He roared gutturally as his fear of losing her for good took root.

Her eyes cleared for a moment, but her rapid breathing didn't still.

'What is going on? I thought that machine was supposed to help me. They must have screwed up the DNA somehow. My Loupin instincts are just too strong. I can't fight them. Oh, Kami, please forgive me for what I may do.' And that was the last cognitive thought that passed through her mind before she attacked.

Vegeta could only watch in morbid fascination as Bulma lunged at Lauri and ripped her apart. Blood splattered everywhere and Bulma was caked in it. He wasn't however prepared for her to lunge at him next. He grappled with her for what felt like hours before he subdued her. She thrashed about in his arms as he made his way to the labs. He ordered all the workers out except for Bardock and threw her into the room with the glass walls and sealed the door shut. He stared helplessly as Bulma's rage reached it pinnacle. Her eyes were solid blue, and she proceeded to throw her self against the sides and pace. She roared in rage, and snarled savagely. She was a caged animal.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER?" He raged at Bardock.

Bardock looked at Bulma and shuddered. He knew, but he was afraid to say. The prince obviously had feelings for Bulma, but he wasn't sure if Vegeta would be able to handle what had happened to the beautiful woman.

"Sigh, sit down, this may take a while." He said as he motioned for Vegeta to take a seat whit him on the desk facing Bulma's temporary prison. He cringed as he watched Bulma threw herself against the glass repeatedly then snarl savagely at the two warriors.

"How much do you remember about Loupgaru?" He began as he prayed to the heavens that it wasn't too late to save her. Kami forbid if Vegeta was forced to kill her.

Author's Note: What happened to Bulma, How does the R.C. have anything to do with it, is Bulma ever going to forgive Vegeta, and how are they going to get her back to normal? Find out in the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: What Loupgaru are Made Of

Author's Note: Well, after struggling with massive writer's block I finally cranked something out. It's not the greatest, but I'm trying to give a little background on Bulma. Trust me, it will important in future chapters. Anyway, enjoy, review, and on with the fic.

Bardock breathed a heavy sigh before turning to face his prince. Vegeta was staring at Bulma as she continued to rage inside her temporary prison. Bardock knew what needed to be done, but he was unsure of the Kings reaction. Vegeta had taken it the way he believed he would, but the King was a whole different story. To the King, Bulma was merely a puppet; one handed to him by Frieza. A toy, if you would, given from one tyrant to another, and now she was… broken. Technically she was what Frieza wanted her to be, a brainless killer, but after seeing what she was capable of mentally; Bardock was hesitant to send her back to Frieza the way she currently was.

"The King cannot know about this." Bardock snarled finally after what seemed like hours of silence.

Vegeta turned his head slightly and stared at Bardock out of the corner of his eye, which didn't go unnoticed by his companion. Saiyajins were notoriously protective of their family and close companions, and were ever on guard to protect them when something was amiss with any of their comrades. Bulma, was apparently no exception to the rule for Vegeta. Bardock smirked causing Vegeta to turn his head fully to look at him, a look of confusion flashing in his obsidian depths before immediately being squashed by his mask of indifference.

"He'll kill her, or worse. He'll send word for Frieza and she'll be taken away before anything can be done. She'll be lost to us forever." Bardock explained.

Vegeta's hands fisted in rage. He hated being helpless, and he hated not knowing what was wrong with his little Bitch. He cast a hopeful glance her way; he just wanted to see the life in her eyes again. He hated her like this. He had to do something, anything. She was his ticket to beating Frieza, her and that blasted training machine she was bragging about. His shoulders slumped as he remembered that this was all his fault. If he hadn't of over reacted she would still be sitting in his room talking away and wagging her fluffy tail off. He growled and tore his eyes away. He couldn't look at her now.

"What can we do to return her to the way she was before?" Vegeta asked as he watched Bardock rub his eyes in agitation.

"Again, I ask you, how much do you know about Loupgaru?"

"What does that have to do with her?" Vegeta bellowed.

"Everything. Are you aware that Loupgaru are part Saiyajin?"

Vegeta's eyebrows skyrocketed upward and he couldn't mask the utter shock that struck him.

"How is that possible, I mean, they're beasts. What Saiyajin in their right mind would mate with a beast. They would be an abomination!" Vegeta asked absolutely dumbfounded, if not a lot disgusted. He knew the ancestors of the Loupgaru were mindless raging beasts, and was having a hard time accepting that one of his own would commit such an act of… well, he left it as that.

"There are really two races and one breed the Loupgaru lineage consists of. The Canis Loupgaru and the more commonly known Loupgaru are the two breeds and of course our Saiyajin blood was present as well. You see your highness, Bulma's ancestors were actually believed to be nothing more than a myth, among the other inhabitants of their planet. The humans they walked among didn't believe they existed."

"Why is that, if they were walking among the people?"

"Remember, Loupgaru are the masters of disguise. They have always had a humanoid form and their Loupin form, but here's where it gets interesting. These creatures, the Canis Loupgaru, were known as Lycans, or werewolves. They could not control their transformations and thus were forced into hiding after a number of humans turned up dead. They lived among the humans, but while the moon was full, they would disappear to sate their Loupin hunger any way they could. They were just as Bulma is now, raging beasts. They were very similar to the Saiyajins in that regard. They transformed at the light of the full moon, and when the moon retreated so did their transformation. That's how this all began." Bardock stated as he paused his abridged version of the story to see if his prince was following. When he was sure Vegeta was paying attention, he continued his explanation.

"Three Saiyajin scouts were sent to earth many centuries ago. They were to collect data on the planet and its inhabitants, but something went wrong. We lost communication with them and were forced to send a search party to retrieve the three scouts and the data they'd gathered. What was found there was never mentioned again."

Vegeta's nose wrinkled in agitation and he sneered at Bardock. Something was amiss.

"If it was never mentioned, then how do you know about it, Bardock?" Vegeta spat as he stood from the table he was sitting on to stand in front of Bardock.

"It was logged, just like everything that is ever found during our planet explorations. Because of my special clearance, I was granted access to the literature. They were never mentioned because the Loupgaru were believed to be nothing more than an abomination. The king didn't want his people to know that the Saiyajin blood line had been polluted. So, the story was circulated that they were a race that had merely evolved. After seeing Bulma in my lab I came to the conclusion that she might be a Loupgaru and did a little research. Unlike most of our people, I enjoy reading and found the Loupgaru to be highly intriguing. Anyway, to continue with my explanation…"

"Hurry it up, I could care less about her lineage, just tell me how we are going to fix her." Vegeta snarled impatiently as his tail slashed through the air behind him.

"Alright, as I was saying, I barely understood the data, until Bulma's little accident and I read the R.C.'s computer print out of her biological stats. It all made perfect sense to me then.

The three earth Saiyajin males came across a pack of female Loupgaru during their full moon, and discovered their transforming abilities. They took them as mates and produced offspring. By the time our rescue party arrived, there were at least a thousand Loupgaru running around on the planet. Loupgaru are the descendants of the Canis Loupgaru and the Saiyajin's. The union gave the Canis Loupgaru pups the ability to not only control their mental state during transformation, but their transformation itself. The Saiyajin DNA in their systems is what allows them to function in that capacity. Unfortunately because of inbreeding, their bloodline became unstable. The Saiyajin DNA in Bulma was barely enough to keep her Loupin form in check." Bardock sighed as he watched Bulma ram her shoulder into the glass for the hundredth time.

"So, what does that have to do with the R.C.?" Vegeta asked as he to was distracted by Bulma's actions.

"Because of the instability in Bulma's blood, the need for Saiyajin DNA is great. When looking at Bulma's blood it truly was amazing. Instead of combining like normal genetics, Bulma's DNA has another strand, one completey made of Saiyajin DNA. When she was placed in the R.C. it recognized her Loupgaru blood, and it recognized her Saiyajin blood. However, it didn't recognize them the way they were put together. Because her Loupgaru blood was dominant; the R.C. completely tossed the Saiyajin DNA out of the healing solution, and pumped her full of the Canis Loupgaru DNA."

Vegeta's nodded in understanding. Bulma needed a combination of Saiyajin blood and Loupgaru blood to balance her out. The R.C. had basically reverted her back to her natural state. He turned to Bardock with questioning eyes.

"So what do we have to do? If her DNA was split the way it was, how are we supposed to fix her? We can't just inject Saiyajin DNA into her system. Her body would reject it." Vegeta's snarled as his eyes darted to Bulma as she howled out her irritation at being confined.

"I thought you'd ask. You are right about one thing; we can't simply inject Saiyajin blood into her system. We have to draw some of her blood and carefully mix the Saiyajin DNA into it. We also have to find a way to combine the strands so this little catastrophy can never happen to her again. Unfortunately, finding the right combination could take weeks if not months. That's were we stand, and I'm afraid we can only hide her from your father and Frieza for so long." Bardock said as he slid off the table to join Vegeta in front of the glass chamber.

"She'll have to be moved, and we can get a sample from her during that time" Bardock said hesitantly as he watched Bulma approach the glass and cock her head at Vegeta.

Vegeta turned and leaned his back against the glass. He couldn't place his emotions, and he that scared him. He was always in control; control of his emotions and every situation involving him, and all it took was some crazy bitch to throw his self control to the way side. His eyes narrowed as his mind wandered to a subject he didn't care to think about.

"Could this be what guilt feels like? Do I feel responsible for her current state?" He hung his head in defeat. Yes, it was his fault. Entirely.

"Sigh, this is my fault. Do whatever it takes to fix her. I don't care what you have to do, just do it. You have my permission to take anything you need, and if anyone asks, tell them its for me." Vegeta said as he turned to leave.

"Wait! We have to move her now, before anyone sees her." bardock shouted after him.

The two stood in silence as they both stared at Bulma's rigid form. She raised her head and locked eyes with them before snarling and letting out a roar of rage. She then charged the glass at them. She stopped mere inches from the glass and raised her head. She snorted and looked at them again while jumping at them in an intimidating manner.

"She's challenging us." Bardock mused while Vegeta smirked.

"Well then, by all means. Wouldn't want to disappoint her now would we?" Vegeta asked amusement laced through every word.

Bardock merely raised a syringe full of sedatives and flicked it before shoving it into a dart gun. It clicked shut and he turned; returning Vegeta's look.

"No, we wouldn't want to do that." He smirked, as he started toward the door, Vegeta right on his heels.

The two paused at the door and Vegeta took his position at the front. If Bulma charged he would take the brunt of her attack while Bardock administered the sedatives.

"You're sure you put enough sedatives in that thing?"

"Positive. This has enough power to knock both of us out for a week. It should buy us plenty of time to get the blood sample and transport her somewhere safe and secure where no one will find her."

Vegeta nodded in approval then stared straight ahead into Bulma's cage. He locked eyes with her and for a moment he wondered if she would attack. She raised up on her hind legs and let out a loud roar before swiping a paw in their direction. He smirked at her challenge and was prepared to see what she was made of. Vegeta's blood ran hot with the anticipation of battle and he could barely contain his excitement. She would fight, fight to kill, and the thought of fighting for his life sent his Saiyajin instincts into overdrive. He couldn't help the tremors of anticipation that pulsed through his tail as it wound tightly around his waist.

"Alright, lets see what you're made of Bitch" Vegeta growled as he slammed his palm down on the sensor and the doors slid open.

Author's Note: Do you think Bardock and Vegeta can take Bulma on, or will they need reinforcements? Will the sedative's work, and will Bulma ever be normal again? Enough questions… just review!! Now you've gone and done it… you have forced my hand! Now I'm being demanding… Review Damn it! I thrive on feedback; it motivates me! You don't want me to lose motivatin now do you? Didn't think so. - HAHA, now I have the next chapter hanging over your heads like an enticing little carrot. Review and I'll update…mhuhahaha!


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My Inspiration and Special Companion

I know this isn't an official chapter, and it is very long, but I must bring someone to your attention. About a year ago I rescued a little kitten from some pot head neighbors who were going to drown her and her siblings if they couldn't find homes for them. She was a tiny little Grey kitten with black stripes and a beautiful brown undertone, and dark green eyes. I had never seen a cat with her markings. She was also feral and mauled the mans hands as he handed her to me. Surprisingly she didn't feel the need to claw me, but buried herself in the crook of my arms.

Once I got her home she hid under my bed for nearly a week, only coming out when my husband and I were asleep. She would sleep next to me and when I would wake up, her little head would be in the palm of my outstretched hand (I sleep on my side). Now she is my ever faithful companion. I say this because she acts like a dog. She follows me all over the house, and mews when she wants a door opened. She begs for food like a dog, loves her belly rubbed, and actually plays dead, no joke. She comes when she's called, and I swear on my life she understands what I'm saying. One time I told her that I was going to bed and asked if she wanted to join me as I walked towards the bedroom. She meowed and ran ahead of me and jumped onto the bed. My husband told me "That cat is weird." I asked why, and he replied "I don't know, she just…knows stuff." and I laughed. My husband was right, she does know stuff.

The cat I am referring to is my dear kitten Mew, or Mewsaphine as I sometimes call her. Yes, I am aware that Mew is also the name of a Pokemon, but considering I hate Pokemon, the name is definitely not based off that character. The name came from her very sweet little mew. She is such a little lady. She never claws or bites and she has perfect manners. Right now she is curled up on my printer watching me type. Mew, my dear readers has been the inspiration behind my story. Her almost humanlike intelligence made me think of giving Bulma an alternate transformation. Many of Bulma's actions and movements have come from those I have seen my cat do. Like open doors with her shoulder, use her paws to pick things up, or wrestle "Fight" with my three wiener dogs. She usually beats them up, so I made Bulma bat Vegeta around a bit in the story…hehe. I'm so mean.

I kid you not when I say she helps me write. She'll sit on my printer or on the back of the chair and if she sees me pause during my typing, she'll hop onto the desk and try to type herself. It usually turns out like this: jiuapghtiuewot;pw, but its fun to watch. She then looks at me as if asking what I think and mews at me.

So, now that I have introduced you to Mew, she will be appearing in my author's notes from time to time. Yes, I mean literally…lol. After all, she is my inspiration, and she is my worst critic. She's actually walked out of the room when I read her my rough draft of chapter six. Ohy, that was embarrassing.

Every author has someone they want to introduce, and I felt like introducing you to Mew. She says hello, and hopes you enjoy the next chapter. She thanks our ever faithful readers/reviewers, and promises to stay on me about updating and keeping each chapter quality. (My last chapter earned me a smack in the face with her tail, so I'll try to do better with this next one.) So, from both of us… Thank you and we hope you enjoy our little story.

If Looks Could Kill & Mew


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 8: BAD SHOT!!_

_Author's Note: Thanks to all you who reviewed: Vegeta's First Fan, SilverFangCracker, Aasoni, Eternal Passion, and Gotensgurl97, I really appreciate your feedback, and your words of encouragement. I also want to thank God that the underline and italic problem seems to be under control now…YAY! Now, Please tell me if I need to shorten the chapters or if they're good the way they are. They've been averaging about two to three thousand words. Let me know. Thank you! Thank you, Thank you! Now, on with the chapter!_

_As the doors slid open Vegeta shot straight towards Bulma's huge form. She swung her massive paw at his head and would have lobbed it clean off had he not fazed out of her sight. Unfortunately for Vegeta, Bulma's sense of smell made it virtually impossible for him to hide. When he reappeared behind her; the downward swing of his fists caught nothing but air. _

'_What the Fuck?!' Vegeta thought before being promptly sent into the wall just by the door. He painstakingly pulled himself from the metal that had formed a nice imprint of his body only to slide down and land on his head._

"_UMPH!!" _

"_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!" _

" _GRRRRR, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING AT, IDIOT?!" Vegeta roared as he shook a fist at the Saiyajin standing above him._

_Bardock took a moment to wipe the tears of mirth from his eyes before glancing at Vegeta as he quickly righted himself and launched after Bulma; ready to pound her into dust for humiliating him._

"_I believe we've underestimated her." Bardock said as he tried to find his shot._

_Vegeta dodged Bulma's charging form in the center of the room and floated in the air just out of her reach. Bardock stood by the door and watched the battle unfold. He shook his head in concern. Bulma definitely had the upper hand. She was not inhibited by rational thought, and vegeta was being careful not to even harm her. He wasn't even using his ki. He was relying on his physical strength alone, and for that Bardock had to give him credit._

'_He must really care for her' He mused as he watched Vegeta attempt to get a hold of her, but every time he got a grip she somehow slid out of it. Bardock had to admit that in her current form it certainly had to be hard for him to get a proper hold on her slight frame. The scene was almost comical; it was like watching some backwater hillbilly trying to catch a greased pig. He smirked at the very idea. Bulma was definitely giving the prince a run for his money, and the very idea of anyone seeing a female dog get the better of him must be killing him. _

'_Oh well, Vegeta needs to be taken down a peg. Arrogant son of a bitch thinks he's already a fuckin Super Saiyajin or something.' bardock thought as he watched Vegeta take hold of her tail in a last ditch effort to restrain her._

'_Gotcha!' Vegeta thought, until Bulma bared her teeth and struck at him with her claws._

_Vegeta dodged her assault but was immediately faced with the realization that grabbing her tail had been a bad idea. Vegeta had inadvertently placed himself within striking range and had to try and stay out of claws and teeth range. Without his ki, Vegeta was damned near completely vulnerable to her every attack, and one good swipe of her claws could take his head off. Keeping her still enough to grant Bardock a good shot was proving to be more difficult than he'd originally thought. He growled at Bardock's short barks of laughter, but couldn't help acknowledging how ridiculous he must look. Here he was, holding her by the tail, and basically running in circles away from her as she tried to bite and claw him. He couldn't help the blush of embarrassment that spread across his cheeks._

'_This has to be the single most humiliating thing that has happened to me to date. I am the prince of all Saiyajins, not some rodeo clown meant to be laughed at. GRRR, when this bitch is normal again she will pay dearly for this. I'll not be made a mockery of.' Vegeta thought as he stopped abruptly and drug Bulma towards him effectively knocking her off balance. He then began to spin her by her tail till both were nothing but a blur. He then released her tail sending her rocketing into the wall._

'_Hn, that'll teach her.' He snorted as he watched her slam into the adjacent wall leaving a nice imprint of her body right next to his. She gathered herself quickly and tried to stand on her now wobbly legs. She shook her head before locking on to his position. She growled out her rage at being thrown, and then charged Vegeta with the full intention of ripping his throat out._

_Bardock quickly raised the dart gun, and aimed. Unfortunately he misjudged the outcome of her attack. He hadn't planned on Vegeta fazing behind her, and accidentally ended up tagging Vegeta in the arm instead. Vegeta let out a roar of indignation as he stared at the needle sticking out of his bicep. The clear liquid pumped into his muscle, sending a chill down his arm. He felt the effects of the sedative almost instantly and couldn't get his body to move fast enough to block Bulma's attack._

"_SHIT!" Was all he had time to say before Bulma swiped her massive claws at him._

"_WATCH…"_

"_OOMPH"_

"_RRREEEAAAARRRRGGGGGGG"_

"_Out…Oh boy, this isn't good." Bardock said as he watched Bulma advance on the now groggy Saiyajin prince then faze out._

_Bulma's claws sliced into Vegeta's shoulder as she sailed past him. He had managed to move his head out of her way, but unfortunately his left shoulder took the brunt of her attack. At least it hadn't taken his arm off. He watched as she rounded to face him. She began circling his prone form, teeth bared, she snarled at him, and swiped the air with her paw. _

_Vegeta's legs shook and he was using every ounce of strength he had as he fought to stay conscious. With the sedatives pumping through his veins he was having a hard time focusing. He covered his left shoulder with his right hand as the blood poured through his fingers and down his arm from the huge gash Bulma tore out of it. He watched as she began to circle around him, and didn't miss the way her nose twitched at the scent of him. Blood had been spilt and she wasn't going to stop till she drained him of every last bit of it._

"_Grrr, dumb Bitch. I knew she was more trouble than she was worth. This is absolutely ludicrous. IT'S TIME TO END THIS!" Vegeta roared as he powered up a blast._

"_NO VEGETA, YOU CAN'T BLAST HER!!" Bardock bellowed in astonishment. 'Maybe I was wrong about him caring about her after all' He thought as he made a b-line for the door to grab another dart._

_Vegeta growled as he grabbed Bulma by the nape of her neck and forced her to the ground. He tried to hold her down, but his strength was failing him and she was slowly gaining her footing._

"_BARDOCK!! HURRY UP AND TAKE THIS BITCH DOWN BEFORE I OUT HER MYSELF!!" Vegeta roared as he watched bardock faze into the room by his side. Vegeta watched through his now doubled vision as Bardock prepped the needle. He held the gun point blank at the back of her neck and shot. Bulma let out an ear piercing yelp before shaking her head and groaning. Vegeta immediately set her free and watched her stumble a few steps away and fall to the ground unconscious._

"_There, now all I have to do is get her blood sample." Bardock said as he went to retrieve his supplies from the table on the other side of the glass. A hand on his shoulder, however, halted his retreat and he turned to face Vegeta's slumped form._

'_Damn, I nearly forgot!' He thought as he turned to face his Prince._

"_Antidote." With that said, Vegeta promptly fell to the ground next to Bulma, also unconscious._

_Bardock stared at the two lying on the floor. His job had definitely just gotten a lot harder. He grabbed the reverse to the sedatives and promptly returned to the room. Upon reaching the unconscious couple Bardock nearly dropped the syringe he was holding._

"_Incredible" He thought. 'Despite being asleep and out of her mind, Bulma's tongue was lazily lapping away at Vegeta's wounded shoulder. Bardock sat back on his haunches at their heads and merely watched the display; hope flickering in his eyes._

'_Despite everything, this little female recognizes Vegeta's scent. Her mind is a lot stronger than I initially thought. Her subliminal mind recognizes Vegeta as a pack mate or something akin to that. Hmmmm, interesting.' Bardock mused as he scratched his chin. He belatedly remembered what he'd come to do and stuck the needle into Vegeta's arm._

_After about fifteen minutes the prince came to. His head was still slightly fuzzy and his vision was blurred, but he shook it off. His clouded mind then registered something soothingly brush against his injured shoulder. He slowly turned his head and watched in awe as Bulma's tongue darted out of her mouth, swiped at the trickle of blood oozing from his shoulder and returned. His wound was nearly healed, and he made a mental note to ask about her healing capabilities when she was normal again. He continued to watch the process for a few more seconds before gathering himself up to stand. He watched as her nose twitched and she made a growl of disapproval then stretched her paws out as if looking for the body that had been lying next to her only moments ago. He snorted at the absurdity of his thoughts._

"_Ahh, you're awake." A voice sounded from outside the glass room. "Good. I was waiting for you." Bardock said as he appeared in the doorway with glasses perched on his nose and a book in his hands. He shut it abruptly and tossed it to the floor with a resounding thud before entering._

_Vegeta stared at him out of the corner of his eye as Bardock approached to stand by his side and stare at Bulma's prone form. His irritation building every second that Bardock remained silent. Finally, after what felt like hours to Vegeta, Bardock removed the glasses from his nose, sighed and looked Vegeta dead in the eye._

"_She's incredible. Her genetics are completely incredible. I'm sure you noticed her licking your wound when you awoke." Bardock said motioning to Vegeta's shoulder. When he nodded Bardock continued._

"_It seems that despite her lack of cognitive thought Bulma is capable, is some capacity, to recognize individuals by their scent and log them as companion or enemy. Much like a normal dog would recognize its master, however, there are some slight differences." _

"_Such as" Vegeta asked as he raised a questioning brow._

"_It's as if her mind has split. Her cognitive mind has been shoved to the back in order for her stronger, primal mind to rule. She's still in there and has the ability to think. That is why you were having such a hard time controlling her. Her primal mind is tapping into her cognitive mind and utilizing it for certain aspects of its functions, such at fighting, and basic survival. She recognizes your scent through her cognitive mind and it holds some power over her primal mind. By tranquilizing her we were able to give her cognitive mind time to register your scent before the primal mind took over and simply tried to eliminated you all together. Which works in our favor." Bardock exclaimed excitedly, while a very confused Vegeta merely stared at him as if he'd sprouted another head._

"_Alright, in plain Saiyajin this time. I have no time for your scientific dribble. What does this all mean?" Vegeta growled as he knelt to Bulma's level and began stroking her soft neck fur. For some strange reason, he'd come to realize, petting her was slightly therapeutic for him and seemed to calm his rattled nerves as he did so._

_Bardock simply shrugged and motioned for Vegeta to Bring Bulma and follow him. Vegeta carefully hefted Bulma into his arms and walked after Bardocks retreating form._

_Bardock paused at his desk and gathered a few supplies. He hastily shoved them into a satchel and slung it over his shoulder before turning to walk out of the lab._

"_Here, we don't want her to be seen." Bardock said as he grabbed a large cloth off one of his experiments and covered Bulma with it._

_As the two men walked down the long palace halls towards the front grounds Bardock began his explanation._

"_Basically Bulma is not just a raging beast. She was acting out of instinct when fighting you because her instincts told her you were a threat. However, since she was able to recognize your scent while unconscious. If my hypothesis is correct, she will be ecstatic to see you when she wakes. In her primal mind you are the equivalent of one of her pack mates; or master as it would appear to the untrained eye."_

"_So she's basically a regular dog?" Vegeta asked as he stared at the sheet were her head would be. He frowned. Something twisted inside him. He just wanted her fixed. He didn't need all this…shit… to complicate his life. When he found out she was more than just a mere dog; he felt something that he'd never felt before. Now that feeling was gone; replaced by one he knew very well. Loss. Was he sad that she was gone? Had he subconsciously become fond of her? When had that happened? His mind was full of so many questions and he was lost so deep in his thoughts that it took him a minute to register just where it was that Bardock had planned to hide Bulma._

"_The gardens? This is the secret place where she'll be safe?" Vegeta's sarcasm and indignation were nearly palpable. It raised the hairs on Bardocks neck._

"_No, one comes here because your father forbade it. After your mother "died" her garden was sealed off. REMEMBER?" Bardock growled as he melted the lock and opened the doors. He was angered at the fact that Vegeta had forgotten his real mother. He thrust the doors open with a little more force than necessary and entered first._

_Vegeta's embarrassment was hidden well. He had completely forgotten about the gardens. He was just a little boy when his REAL, mother had died, and he had completely forgotten about them being banned grounds. What had be become, that he could forget his own mother? He shook the thought from his head and concentrated on the task at hand._

_Bardock stopped when he reached the farthest back corner. There under a weeping willow tree he placed his satchel. He then took the sheet off Bulma and laid it on the ground under the tree._

"_Here, place her down." _

_Vegeta did as he was told, albeit begrudged, and took a seat next to her. He watched as Bardock removed a ki suppressing collar from his satchel and a diamond lead._

"_Those are the bindings Frieza issued her."_

"_Yes, Kakkarot brought them to me for safe keeping after you removed them. Pffth, probably the only intelligent thing he's ever done. She'll need them when she goes back to Lord Frieza."_

_Vegeta's hand fisted in her neck fur. He hadn't thought about her going back. In fact, he forgot the reason for her even being on Vegetasei was to train. He closed his eyes and calmly stroked her fur in an attempt to calm his nearly frayed nerves. He knew she meant something to him, and that was the reason why all this was bothering him. He had to distance himself from her somehow, but he didn't quite know how._

"_Damn this to hell. Frieza would prefer her this way. We should just give her back and say the damn job is done." He raged as he made motion with his hand._

_Bardock calmly took out the things he needed to gather her blood samples and proceeded to do so. Once he was done drawing her samples he placed them in a special container and returned it to his satchel. He then placed the collar and chain around her neck and fastened the long lead to a looped root of the tree._

"_There, that should give her at least a good fifteen feet of lead to move around." Bardock informed as he took a few steps back to look over his handiwork._

_Vegeta stood at his side and stared down at the blue and white creature that lay unmoving on the sheet. His eyes darted to her face and he briefly remembered what she had looked like in her humanoid form. The feelings from earlier flooded his mind and he shook them off like rain on a duck before quickly turning on his heels to leave. He couldn't stand to be in the room any longer. It held to many sad memories for him, and he didn't like the fact that Bulma was just adding to them. _

"_Don't you want to see her when she wakes?" bardock called after him; stalling his hasty retreat. He turned his head slightly, but remained with his back to the two remaining occupants of the forbidden room._

"_I have business to attend to. I'm afraid I have been missing for far to long. Besides, someone is going to have to do damage control over the medical wings destruction and Lauri's "Unfortunate" death." Vegeta growled as he fisted one gloved hand and smashed it into the wall beside the door. _

_Bardock's eyes widened; signaling to Vegeta that he'd completely forgot about what had transpired nearly two hours ago. Someone had surely found the carnage and reported it to the King._

"_What are you going to tell your father?"_

_Vegeta shrugged apathetically. "I'll say that it was a malfunction of the R.C. and she was unfortunate enough to be there for the explosion."_

"_Vegeta, she could survive a simple R.C. explosion. All of us could." Bardock reasoned as he tried to think up an excuse himself._

"_I have it. The R.C. Exploded and she came to see what the commotion was about. When she arrived she found a soldier getting out of the tank and you caught them together and blasted him to dust and ripped her apart." Bardock said. He was aware, as were half the palace guards, of Lauri's infidelity. _

_Vegeta seemed to ponder the possibility of convincing his father and after a few short seconds deliberation; turned and nodded his approval before disappearing out the doors and heading towards the throne room leaving Bardock alone with Bulma._

_After the doors were shut; Bardock turned to face Bulma. He watched as her ears, nose and legs twitched. _

'_She must be dreaming.' He leant down and stroked her neck fur like he had watched Vegeta do earlier and was surprised at its softness._

'_No wonder Vegeta enjoys petting you. You're much softer than you look. I wonder what you're dreaming?' He mused as he watched her move about as if chasing someone in her dream. _

_Looking up Bardock noted that the glass of the green house ceiling provided a perfect view of the night stars. He stared at them for some time before glancing down at the creature next to him. He stuck his hand in front of her face and prayed that she would log his scent with Vegeta's. As impatient as Vegeta is, and how extensive the tests were going to be Bardock didn't even want to thing about having to use Vegeta to administer all the tests, for obvious reasons._

'_Sigh, this is going to a long night.' Bardock thought as he picked his satchel up off the ground and slung it over his shoulder. He then double checked to make sure Bulma was secured to the tree, then exited the grounds and locked them behind him; being careful not to be seen. Once he was out of sight, he headed straight for his labs. He was going to crack this genetic puzzle if it killed him, and with all the decrees he'd broken that day, it very well could._

'_Now where is that Petri dish?' _

_Author's Note: How long can Vegeta and Bardock keep Bulma a secret? Will Bulma recognize them? And will Vegeta be able to convince his father that he was responsible for the carnage in the Medical Wing? Find out next time._


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Some wounds just won't heal._

_Author's Note: DAMN IT ALL TO HFIL!! I thought I had that stupid problem taken care of…sigh. Oh well, maybe some day I'll figure out what is going on. Anyway, thanks for the reviews. I really enjoy reading them. Mew also likes hearing me read them. Her tail is twitching and she's batting at my hands as I type… her way of saying hello and thanks for reading! Well, enough stalling. Here is the long awaited chapter 10. (mumbles about stupid font problems and computers being of the devil.) _

_Vegeta stormed down the great palace halls; the echo of his steps were the only indication that anyone lived in it at all. Much to Vegeta's chagrin; he would be forced to play the role of the messenger of death to his father and "mother". The vein in his forehead throbbed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in attempts to rid himself of the headache he knew would be upon him in a matter of minutes. He couldn't shake the wave of dread he felt as he approached the heavy throne room doors. He paused just outside and glared at them as if they were the source of all his troubles._

'_Sigh, can't put this off any longer. That woman owes me her life for the trouble she's placed upon me.' Vegeta thought as he steeled himself and entered the throne room. _

_It wasn't that he feared his father, on the contrary, he just preferred to steer clear of the old man in hopes of never having to deal with his father's constant harping and nagging him about taking a mate, settling down, and actually giving a damn about his people. He did care about his people, but Vegeta had no intentions of marrying simply to secure the throne. His father had taken his birth mother as a mate out of political obligation and look where that landed everyone. His mother was dead, he was given as a "present" to Frieza, and his father had a new wife to fondle. It made him sick to think that his mother was killed to make way for the woman he now was forced to yield to as his mother. He growled low in his throat as he approached the throne. Gasps were heard from the council members and concubines that had gathered in the great hall, but not a sound came from the two seated on the thrones ahead of him; for they were all to familiar with Vegeta's barbaric antics._

"_My boy, what have you done this time?" The kings voice boomed in accusation._

_He paused mid - stride as the queen placed a hand out. She nodded to the floor over which he had just trod and Vegeta noticed the generous amount of blood pooling on the carpet. Yes, the little Bitch had certainly gotten the best of him in that little scuffle. The wound would scar nicely; an addition to his already mangled body. He returned her stare with one of cold indifference and approached the thrones once more; to the queen's utter disgust and astonishment._

"_Vegeta, the carpet. Why don't you go get yourself patched up and then come back…" Her voice was silenced._

"_The last time I checked, I am the crowned prince of Vegetasei, and you were a mere replacement for the true queen. I answer to no one; least of all you woman. Do not presume to scold me like some brat; you are not my mother and I am certainly no child!" Vegeta roared as he powered up a blast and aimed it at her head causing her to shrink back in fear._

"_THAT'S ENOUGH, VEGETA!!" His father roared as he stood from his seat upon the throne. _

"_What the hell gives you the right to come in here, threaten your queen, and expect us to stand by while you do it?" The king bellowed at his only son._

_Vegeta merely grunted in indifference and lowered his hand; the ki ball retreating back to its place within his palm. He turned to leave , but paused half way down the long stairs to look at his father over his shoulder._

"_Lauri is dead. I caught her with a soldier in the medical wing. There is nothing further I wish to report. If you wish to bury her, I suggest you get your servants to gather the pieces…well, what's left anyway. As for the guard; he is of no consequence." _

_King Vegeta glared at his son with a mixture of anger and understanding. He would have done the same had he caught his betrothed with another man, but knowing Vegeta; he would have blasted both parties to kingdom come and left nothing for the mourning family. Something was amiss with his son and he knew it. _

"_Why not destroy both parties? Surely you felt the desire to annihilate both, did you not?" The king called after his son's retreating form._

_Vegeta stood stock still, his back rigid with angst. Certainly he should have expected his father to know when he was lying, hell, he had always been a terrible liar. That was one reason why he never felt the need to do so. It only got him into more trouble in the end, but somehow, he had to make sure his father didn't catch wind of what had transpired earlier that day. He turned back to his father; a malicious smirk plastered to his smug face._

"_Yes, perhaps that would have suited me, but you forget my dear father. Lauri committed an act of treason, and for humiliating me so, I felt the need to make her suffer a slow and painful death. I ripped her apart piece by piece. She screamed for mercy and as you well know, none was given, as none was deserved." Vegeta lied as he stared his father in the eyes; his black depths unwavering._

_The king stared into his son's eyes only for a moment before nodding his head in understanding. He had bought the poorly constructed lie. He reached out and grasped his son by the shoulder in mock affection. Vegeta immediately shook it off and glared at his king with irritation before brushing off his shoulder where the kings hand once rested._

"_Do not touch me old man, I feel no need to socialize with you or your wife. I merely came to inform you of what I assume is to be the latest discussion for your councilmen." that said he cast a glare out to the crowd._

"_No, I never expected you to come to me with nothing but scorn and forced loyalty. One day Vegeta, you will understand why I did what I did. One day you will be king and you will have to make sacrifices for the greater good."_

_Vegeta was livid. He fisted his hands so tight that his fingernails dug into his palms. River's of crimson flowed forth and he fought to keep his temper in check. He was considered a monster for what he did under Frieza's instruction, but even he could safely say that he would rather fight then give up a child to be raised by that tyrant. _

"_It would have been better for me if you'd have killed me than sent me to be the puppet for that murderer. You know nothing of sacrifice old man. You sit on your throne while everyone else dose your bidding. Tell me, how long has it been since you've stained your hands with the blood of the innocent? How long has it been since you've fought side by side with an elite guard? Do the nightmare's of death and destruction, the cries of the dying and those wishing they were dead ring in your ears and plague your mind? No. You have not seen battle. You have never seen death the way I have. No Saiyajin has seen what I have seen, nor done what I have done. No one, has killed the way I have killed. You talk of sacrifice, you know nothing, and for that, I will enjoy killing you when the time comes for me to take your throne from you." Vegeta raged as he stalked down the stairs, across the black carpet stained with his own blood and out the double doors._

_The king could only gape at his son. Never in his life had he believed his son capable of such a speech, or such blatant hatred for his own flesh and blood. For the first time the King realized what he had allowed his son to become, and the gravity of it hit him like a ton of bricks. He slumped to his throne as his wife fussed over him. He looked into her eyes and to his own horror; was reminded of the woman who had bore his son. He wept for the first time; tears of bitter guilt and regret._

'_What have I done?'_

_Bardock crept silently through the halls. He made certain no one followed him, and that no one had seen where he was headed. He looked to the left and the right before slipping the key into the lock and turning it. The loud click nearly choked him as he inhaled sharply and looked to see if anyone had heard it. No one had. He placed his hand on the door and twisted the golden wolf's head handle in preparation to enter._

"_HEY POP!"_

"_AHHHHHAHHHHHHA" Bardock's heart leapt into his throat as he yelled out in surprise. He spun around and nearly knocked the intruder to his knees. His fist stopped seconds before colliding with the face of his youngest child; who was happily munching on some cookies from a tin cradled in his arms. Bardock shook his head in irritation before grabbing his son and hauling him into the gardens and shutting the door behind them both._

_Kakkarot shoved another cookie into his mouth as he quietly took in his surroundings. Bardock, in the mean time removed the glasses from his face and rubbed the irritation from his eyes. His son could be so clueless sometimes. _

"_I wonder if Selena had an affair?" He murmured._

"_Huh? What'd ya say pop?" Kakkarot asked when he heard his father's hushed voice._

_Bardock immediately stiffened and returned his glasses to their previous position on his nose. He stared at his son as if he were appraising him and he smirked in good humor at the uncomfortable expression staining his sons features._

"_Um, pop? Why are you looking at me that way? And why are we in the queen's gardens? Aren't they forbidden?" Kakkarot asked as he shoved another cookie into his mouth and watched his father circle his prone form._

"_Yes, they are forbidden, and since you felt it necessary to poke your nose into matters that do not concern you; I have decided to charge you with a task." bardock stated as he came around to stare his son in the eye._

_Kakkarot blanched at the thought of what his father may ask him to do._

"_What do you want me to do?"_

"_I'm glad you asked, my son" Bardock smirked as he placed an arm around his sons shoulder and ushered him to the back of the gardens where Bulma lie peacefully munching on the meat left for her the previous day._

_Kakkarot followed his father's gaze and was puzzled as to why Bulma was tied to a tree in the forbidden gardens and why she was tearing at the meat like a rabid dog. _

"_What's wrong with Bulma?" Kakkarot asked when Bulma's ears perked and her nose twitched at their approach. He noticed her eyes immediately and made motion to go to her. Something told him his friend was in danger and he desperately wanted to help. He let the tin of cookies slip from his grasp to be forgotten on the ground as he slowly made his way to his friend._

_Bardock smirked triumphantly as he watched his second born reach his hand out to be sniffed by Bulma's twitching nose. He hoped that his hypothesis was correct and when Bulma extended her head to be petted; he knew he'd hit pay dirt. Kakkarot may have an extremely childish disposition, but he had insight that not many Saiyajin's could boast of, and the fact that he could see something was wrong with the little Loupgaru gave him hope of having a somewhat intelligent legacy when he was long dead and gone. He sighed before placing a hand on his son's shoulder and forking over a cookie to Bulma as a diversionary tactic. _

"_An accident in the medical wing rendered her nothing more than a mere dog. Prince Vegeta, myself and you are the only ones who know about it, and we intend to keep it that way. If word got out that she was nothing more than a raging beast; Frieza would snatch her up and use her against any living sentient being he felt deserving of a slow and painful death. What I need you to do is watch this door and guard it with your life. The fact that these grounds are forbidden helps you, but there is still the risk of someone hearing Bulma and coming to investigate. I need you to make sure no one besides the three of us enter these doors. Bulma's life and sanity depends on it. Do you understand?" bardock explained as he prayed to whatever deity was out there that his son could handle such an important task._

_Kakkarot looked from his father to the darkened eyes of his friend. Her head cocked to the side as if trying to understand what was being said, but there was nothing of the intelligence in her that once was. She was merely a shell of a being, and Kakkarot felt grief at the loss of a friend. He looked to his father for answers_

"_Can you help her? I mean, can you make her the way she was before? She's my friend father, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and secure while you do whatever you can to help her. You have my word. I'll protect her from anything." Kakkarot declared as he put his fist to his chest to signify his oath._

_Bardock nodded in thanks as he pulled out a needle from his satchel. Kakkarot blanched and his face turned paper white._

"_Father, no, please, I don't need a shot do I? I feel perfectly fine. NOOOOOOO" Kakkarot screamed as he ran to hide behind a tree._

_Bardock merely rolled his eyes, familiar with his son's reactions to needles. He lifted it into the air and watched the liquid squirt from the tip, then flicked it before stroking Bulma's neck fur aside and plunging it into the tender flesh._

_Bulma was so immersed with her cookies that the offending pinch was easily ignored. She twitched an ear in his direction, but nothing more as she snagged another cookie out of the discarded tin and continued munching contentedly._

_Bardock removed the needle and gave Bulma's neck a quick pat before standing up and replacing the cap on the needle and shoving it into the pocket of his satchel. He then turned to his son and raised his palms outward._

"_I'm unarmed son, you can come out now" bardock laughed as his son slowly emerged from behind the two inch thick tree. His son really was a piece of work._

"_What was that you gave her?" Kakkarot asked_

_Bardock shrugged and started walking towards the doors. "It's the first round of my attempts to make her normal." He finally said. A long silence followed as the two walked side by side._

"_So, do I have to stand guard?" Kakkarot asked as he joined his father on the path toward the garden doors._

"_No, that would be too suspicious. I want you to keep a lock on Bulma's ki and thus keep tabs on the door. Who enters and who leaves. If anyone besides the three of us and Bulma are in that room at any given time. You call me and head for the gardens."_

_Kakkarot shook his head in understanding as the two headed back to their home for some much deserved rest._

_Vegeta was so angry he couldn't even see straight. He entered the Medical Wing and to his surprise found it cleaned of all carnage and restored to its pristine white and sterile steel shine. He growled in disgust; how he hated the smell of the Medical Wing. He hated the smell of medications and the fluids that came from the R.C. Tanks. He stalked over to a short brown, birdlike doctor who was working on some paperwork and smacked him upside the head. The doctor yelped and placed a hand to his throbbing skull before turning to see the angry prince towering over him. The doctor let out a yelp of surprise before bowing deeply._

"_What can I help you with today my prince? Do you require a R.C. tank?" The doctor asked as he made effort not to look the terrifying prince in the eyes._

_Vegeta sneered at the man cowering before him and merely shoved him out of the way as he gathered up some medical supplies and began the tedious task of sewing his arm back together._

"_Um, your highness, might I suggest you allow me to….gaaahhhh"_

_A blast of light shot across the room and incinerated the poor doctor on sight. Vegeta took the hooked needle from between his teeth and continued his task; completely unfazed by the doctor's demise._

'_That woman is a lot stronger than I'd initially thought. Any closer and she would have taken my arm off. Lets just hope Bardock can figure out how to restore her to her former self' Vegeta thought as he took the thread with his teeth and fingers to tie it off then snip it with his large canines. _

_Vegeta tossed the used items in the trash beside the gurney he'd sat upon and worked about putting his armor back on. Once he had accomplished that surprisingly daunting task; he headed to the training facilities for some much needed training._

_Once Vegeta reached the training room all the occupants had fled for the night; not wanting to have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming the prince's own personal punching bag. He frowned in displeasure, but found it oddly comforting. He had not had peace and quiet for such a long time. _

'_Hmm, why not.' Vegeta thought as he crouched down and cleared his mind to do some relaxing katas. Tonight he wasn't going to think about anything except for the rigorous workout he was going to put his body through. He then opened his eyes and all movement after that was a blur of punches, kicks, and combo attacks. Nothing more passed through the prince's mind as he trained. Not his father, Frieza, nor the Bitch lying under the tree that acted as his mother's tombstone. Nothing, tonight was for him, and tomorrow he would worry about all that was wrong in his life. More kicks and punches and his grunts and snarls of effort were the only sound made the rest of the night. _

_Vegeta continued to train well into the early hours of morning until his body finally succumbed to exhaustion. He then made his way to the gardens and let himself in; making sure to close the doors behind him. He made his way over to the tree where Bulma was resting soundly and not counting the costs; he collapsed unconscious on the ground by her side. Sleep finally claiming the prince and thrusting him deep into his subconscious where incredible things were in store for him._

_Author's Note: What will happen to Vegeta when Bulma wakes up? Will she attack him or will Bardock's medicine have worked already? Can Kakkarot keep a secret and will he be able to hold himself true to his word? Find out in the next chapter._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: More To The Story

Author's Note: Yeah, so I see the problem has gotten worse not better. I officially give up on it. Please don't stop reading and reviewing because of it. I would also like to apologize for the long wait. I've been struggling with crazy writer's block, and Mew hasn't been helping with her running through the house like a mad woman mewing at any little thing that moves. Sigh, its like having children; I swear. Anyway, on to the story.

He woke with a start; his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness around him. His eyes widened in shock and apprehension then began darting around to find a source of light, but there was none. He found his footing and propelled himself off the hard floor. He remembered falling asleep in the gardens. He had no idea where he was presently, and couldn't recall anything after passing out. The darkness began to suffocate him. He normally loved the dark; thrived in it actually. The darkness was his ally; allowing him its protection and cover for the attack, or occasional retreat. But this darkness, something about it made the hair at his nape and tail stand on end. This darkness reeked of death and destruction. His self preservation instincts kicked in as he started to run. He ran on, and on, and on, but after what felt like a few miles he skidded to a stop no closer to finding a way out. It was all consuming, and he felt his body tense with anxiety as the feelings of being trapped slowly filled his muscles with adrenaline.

He was about to shoot off in another direction when a gust of wind shot past him; ruffling his hair. He turned around as a hint of light made itself known.

The light started out faint then suddenly brightened to an intensity that nearly knocked him off his feet. He shielded his eyes from the blinding light until it faded down. He slowly removed his left arm from his eyes and stared unbelieving at the form before him.

"It's you!" He whispered; more to himself than anyone.

There, out of the light before him, stepped the form of the one person he thought he would never see again.

"Where have you been little one?" He ground out in rough affection as he knelt in front of her to tangle his gloved hand into her thick fur.

She looked into his eyes and all he saw was sadness.

"I can't stay... She's watching." Was all she said.

His eyes grew confused, and he used his other hand to cup her muzzle. "What are you talking about Bitch? Tell me! Who is watching?!"

A single tear rolled down to be swallowed up in her fluffy fur. Slowly and gently she pulled out of his grasp, and began to back away. He reached for her; afraid she may disappear, but it was too late. She cast him one last agonizing glance before fading off into the darkness.

"Come Back!" He roared as he shot after her retreating form, but the farther he ran the more he came to realize she was gone.

He stopped running, and it was only then that he heard it. The sound of gruff laughter. He turned quickly, but wasn't quick enough to block the blow that landed upside his head. He flew back with the force of it and skidded to a halt on the hard floor. He righted himself and sunk down into a fighting stance; ready for the next attack, but it never came.

Suddenly a bright light shot up from the ground and he found himself in yet another world. However, despite the light that surrounded him; this world smelt of betrayal and despair.

"Where the Fuck am I?" Vegeta ground out as he took in his surroundings.

He found himself looking up at a magnificent castle made of pure sapphire and diamonds which looked to have been carved out of the side of a mountain. It towered over everything; proving it to be an impenetrable fortress. He then noticed a waterfall flowing from above the castle. It was caught by a large piece of quartz which angled it so as to cause the water to flow into the backs of, and out the mouths of Loupgaru-esque statues positioned on the three sides of the Castle. The water; he noticed was then gathered around the base of the mountain below the castle where it formed a moat. It had one stream leading out into the city that stretched beyond the castles boarders.

He turned and faced the gates that led out of the city. He could hear shouting and screaming from just beyond the gates and watched in confusion as a Loupgaru burst through the gates and made his way towards the palace.

The creature was older, even for his race. Spots of grey could be seen under his muzzle and grizzled throughout his pale blue fur. He was barely blue; nearly white in his old age, but something about this creature screamed not to be underestimated. He had scars running jagged and criss cross down his muzzle and one eye had been gouged out. This beast had seen battle, and it hadn't been good to him.

He followed the old Loupgaru as he ascended the winding road leading to the drawbridge of the castle. The Loupgaru paused for only a moment to speak with the guards stationed at the bridge before they raised the gate to grant him access. Vegeta quickly ducked under the gate and continued to follow the Loupgaru into the palace. He noted the beautiful structure of the castle and had to admit that it seemed much more grand than his own, but couldn't help the feeling of dread that shot through him as he noticed where the old Loupgaru was headed.

"That must be the throne room."

He shook his head and continued to stalk the Loupgaru; all the way into the throne room, and before the king and queen. Here, he could do nor say anything. For there, before him, sat the two most regal looking Loupgaru he had ever laid eyes on.

"Incredible!" Was all he had time to say before the old Loupgaru began to speak. He watched in irritation as the Loupgaru soldier and the alpha pair conversed in a language he was unfamiliar with. Seeing as how he was unable to understand their words he took the time to take in the appearance of the occupants of the room and attempted to interpret their body language.

The king was a solid navy blue with one white and one blue eye. He wore a dark blue collar which had a chain hanging down made of solid diamonds. It was in the shape of a Loupgaru reared on its hind legs and poised for battle with a shield on one paw and a spear in another. The queen however, was solid white with blue eyes. She had a sapphire studded collar and a chain that had a single tear drop diamond on it. On her forehead sat a similarly shaped jewel. The soldier that lie before the thrones was a light blue with the same color eyes, but he wore silver armor with spikes starting from his head and running down to the tip of his tail where they gathered to form a makeshift mace.

'Nice armor, for a mutt' He mused as he began to ponder just where he was.

Just as he was about to turn around a flash of white and blue streaked past him.

"MAMMA, PAPPA!!"

"Bulma?" He gasped as he saw a female Loupgaru burst through the door followed by three Loupgaru guards. They quickly subdued her and he wondered briefly why.

The two males seemed to ignore the little female, but the queen couldn't tear her eyes away from her. She was trying to tell them something; that's when the queens eyes grew large as realized what was going on.

Suddenly, the soldier Loupgaru began to raise his voice. He then gestured over to a figure hidden within the shadows, and the king roared out in rage. The figure stepped out of the shadows and Vegeta immediately recognized him as the man from the banquet. Yaumcha, was his name. The king's rage was amplified by the man's presence and he could contain himself no longer. The king lunged off his throne and tackled the spiked Loupgaru to the ground. When he righted himself and the two squared off; the struggle intensified and they engaged in a heated battle while the queen sat in disbelief.

The king seemed to have the old soldier beat, but due to the fact that the soldier was wearing armor and the king was not Vegeta knew something was not right with this fight.

The king pinned the soldier to the ground, but with one swing of his tail, the spikes lodged into the kings head and came out the other side; blood splattering everywhere. The king let out a strangled yelp before falling lifeless to the ground. The old, soldier's evil laughter echoed throughout the room, mingling with the cries from the queen and Vegeta's little female.

He could only watch with fists clenched in rage, as she ran to her father's side and began licking and nuzzling his muzzle with her little head. Then he turned when the loud cries of the queen rang out.

"You will never take me, Rathan!" The queen roared as she tried her best to fight off the male, but he was much too large and strong and he dominated her easily; mounting her and disgracing her into submission. He then latched onto the scruff of her neck and tossed her into the wall nearest the thrones, and began to laugh as he advanced on her broken form.

"You actually think you have a choice? You know the law, and you must abide by it" He roared in her face before landing the back of his massive paw across her muzzle; snapping her neck instantly.

"YOU LEAVE MY MAMMA ALONE!!"

The sound of the other female Loupgaru's roar sent the soldier into a fit of laughter as he turned to face her stiff form.

"Little one, you have so much to learn. I am king now, and your mother and father are dead. Now, where does that leave you… hmmmmm let me think. You are the whelp of a former monarch. I have just usurped the throne, and killed your parents. You have two choices little one. Fight me for the throne, or die. You choose. That is the law." He ground out as he chuckled at her shocked and mortified face.

Vegeta's fists were now dripping blood, and he couldn't bare to stand idle anymore. It was one thing to watch a king be dethroned in front of his family, but it was another to watch a soldier with way more fighting experience challenge a mere pup to a battle for the throne. He knew what this mutt was after. He knew she was to weak to fight and win, so he killed her parents while they were armor less, and now he's going to force her out of her throne. This Rathan, had no honor whatsoever, and he was going to make him pay. With a loud roar he launched himself at the old dog, but pounded the ground in a furious rage when he merely passed through the mutt like a ghost.

"Damn it, what's going on here?" He wondered aloud as he watched three other soldier Loupgaru bring in some armor for her to wear. It wasn't until he looked into her face that he realized she was no pup. She was a full grown Loupgaru; she was younger than the Bulma he knew, yes, but she looked to be nearly full grown. The soldiers standing next to her were nearly twice her size. It seemed all the males were at least twice the females size and that seemed a little odd to him.

"I guess that's how it works here." He muttered to himself as he watched Bulma don the armor. Her armor was similar to the soldiers except it had no spikes. It was made of silver and diamonds, and had the same symbol carved into the chest plate that hung from the King's chain. She wore no helmet unlike her opponent; instead her head was covered by a mesh made of diamonds. The body armor stretched to the base of her tail and there was a thick piece of metal that jutted up to protect her neck and hold her head piece in place;, and it was surrounded by spikes like a collar.

She stood stock still until Rathan charged. She met him halfway and the battle began. Rathan dodged her first attack and reared back with a laugh as he brough his massive paw down across her head. She shook her head, but was unable to clear it before it was too late. Rathan was on her in a heartbeat. He mercilessly beat her with his paws, and nearly took her head off with the force of his bite. She fought as hard as she could, but Rathan was too strong for her and she fell to the ground unable to move. Her body to beaten and tired.

Vegeta went to her side. He said nothing, and placed his hand over her prone form. "I wish I could help you little one." He said as he watched Rathan stand to tower over her prone form.

"You lose bitch! Get up, and get out. If I catch you within the boundaries of my kingdom again you will be killed. This kingdom is under my rule now, and with Frieza's guarantee to help us conquer the humans; the rest of this world will be ours." Rathan growled as he snatched her up by the armor and she was stripped of it.

Bulma raised her head as high as she could, and spat at his feet. "Frieza will give you nothing; except your own head on a silver platter once he gets out of you what he wants. You know as well as I Frieza never intends to aid a planet he doesn't want to claim as his own.

Yaumcha slowly approached and knelt down to Bulma's level, and began stroking her face; much to Vegeta's chagrin.

"Bulma, you and I were great friends, and I never wanted to see you hurt. This is your fault you know. I told you I could get you away from here and out of Frieza's reach, but you just wouldn't listen would you. You're too stubborn. Oh well, I guess that's the Loupin in you." He said as he patted the side of her face in mock affection.

She snapped at him causing him to lose his footing and fall back. "You, Yaumcha, King of the humans, are a traitor. We Loupgaru have protected you humans for centuries, and this is how you repay us? By selling us out to him?! Frieza will destroy this planet!" She roared as she tried to stand, but collapsed under weak legs.

"Frieza is our ally. He made a contract with us and he's an honorable… uh…. Man." Yaumcha growled as he stood. "Besides, you had your chance to get off this planet, and you didn't take it.

"I would never leave my people defenseless." She growled as she swiped at his legs.

Yaumcha kicked her paws away and looked to the three guards standing by. "You do what you need to do with her. Your new king told your she is not welcome here. Take her to the forests and make sure she stays gone." And with that he turned and followed Rathan out the side doors.

Bulma looked to her mother's body lying broken on the floor now beside her father's, and couldn't hold the flood of emotions from taking over. She had failed to protect them, failed to protect her people. She was nothing now, nothing, and the grief that took hold crippled her. Now she knew why it was nearly impossible for a Loupgaru to survive exile. The pain of losing your family and pack mates was nearly unbearable.

"REEEEAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!" She cried out as the guards tried to pull her away.

"It's time to go Princess." One guard said as he came up beside her. She looked to him and to the other two who stood a ways away and gave a half smile as thanks for their loyalty. Despite the laws; these three were still her friends, her pack mates, and she needed all the help she could get.

Once they reached the edge of the forest the four said their goodbyes.

"Come back Princess, when you're strong enough. We will buy you the time you need to take him down." The largest of the three soldiers promised as he nudged her face with his.

"I'll be back Diago. I promise. You guys have always been there for me, and I promise you I will free our people." She growled as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye old friends." She said as she ran off into the woods.

Vegeta now understood why Bulma hated Yaumcha so much, and he now understood why her parents didn't seem to care about her disappearance. They were dead and she had been exiled by the new king. The only thing that he didn't understand was what use Frieza could possibly get out of the alliance, but before he got the chance to think; the scenery changed again. This time, he was on a battlefield. There were Loupgaru bodies strewn everywhere mixed in with the humans. He walked through the piles of mangled corpses without so much as blinking an eye. He had seen enough death and destruction under Frieza that he was no longer affected by it. However, the sound of a feminine laugh made him halt, and made his blood run cold. He knew that laugh, and he knew what all this death meant.

"Frieza!" He roared as he turned around. There, in his hover chair, laughing like a child with a lolly, was Frieza. His men were leading Loupgaru and Human's alike into the slave ships; probably to be sold to traders for a small fortune.

One of Frieza's green henchmen emerged from the crowd. He was dragging a half dead Loupgaru that Vegeta immediately recognized as Rathan. The henchman threw the Loupgaru at Frieza's feet and returned to his duties.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Rathan, I'm surprised at you. I thought we had an agreement?" Frieza questioned; mockery oozing from his slimy mouth like acid.

"I never… agreed… to… sell….my people… as slaves… Frieza. I… never… agreed to… give up my… throne." Rathan wheezed through crushed ribs and punctured lungs.

Frieza merely shrugged. "I supposed you expect me to care. I guess the terms of our agreement were not fitting as they were. I felt the need to… make a few changes. Those including you securing both kingdoms for me and I letting you live out of gratitude. However, you betrayed me Rathan. You turned against me and turned this into an all out war. Now most of my new slaves are dead, and the planet is ruined. Now, what do you have to say for yourself? Hmmm?"

Rathan spat at Frieza's feet. " I should have listened to that little Bitch. She was right about you. To think, I trusted a monster like you. You B…..AHHHHH."

A beam of light and Rathan was gone.

"Damn you, Frieza! Vegeta raged as he relieved his own life through Bulma's memories. His throne was in danger, and she had already lost hers. She knew what he was going through because she had lived it. He watched as a cage was placed on the ground near the loading docks.

"NO, THAT ONE IS COMING WITH ME!!" Frieza yelled at the men carrying the cage.

"Yes, Lord Frieza." They said in unison, as they set the cage down next to the ship.

"GRRRRRR" Bulma raged. The muzzle and shackles were a little excessive to her, but Frieza felt it necessary to keep her contained and quiet. After all, she had taken out nearly his entire elite force with her berserker attack.

"Now, now, be a good little princess and behave, or I just might kill you after all." Frieza said as he reached through the bars and patted Bulma on the head making her thrash about trying to get away from his filthy, bloody hands.

'So that's what happened.' Vegeta finally got it. Bulma was Frieza's spoil from the battle. He knew Frieza liked to keep royalty as proof that he destroyed/conquered their worlds. He also liked to take the prince and princesses as proof of alliance contracts. That's what his father had told him when Frieza demanded he be trained to purge planets for him.

'Sick Bastard.' He thought as he walked up to stare Frieza in the face. He reared back his fist and punched as hard as he could, but alas, as before his fist merely passed through Frieza's face.

He was so close, yet so far. How he wanted to be able to kill Frieza where he stood, Crush his skull to dust, but he wasn't real. This was all just a dream, no, a memory; Bulma's memories. Somehow she had created a mind link with him. It must have something to do with what Bardock was saying about her subliminal mind. That had to be the reason why he was seeing her memories.

Vegeta was about to turn and catch one final look at Bulma, but suddenly he was surrounded by darkness once more, and the sound of voices faded. He heard nothing, but he did feel something cold and wet against his temple.

"WHAT THE?!" Vegeta thought as his eyes shot open and he jerked to attention.

He took in his surroundings and his body relaxed. He was still lying under a tree in his mother's garden. He then looked to his left and saw the culprit of the cold wet feeling curled up next to him asleep; nose right next to his face. He let out a deep sigh and buried his hand in her fur to remind himself that she was indeed real, and not part of his dreams.

His mind began to wander as he closed his eyes. He saw her in her true form. She was beautiful, with her blue hair and eyes, her body. He shook his head to the bad thoughts away as he felt himself shift and strain against his training shorts.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me do you?" He asked, before stroking her head the way she liked, and lying back in an atemp to gain some extra hours of sleep before his training in the morning..

Author's Note: GACK, this is terrible. I apologize for such a horrible chapter. I have terrible writer's block and this is the result. Please forgive me, I'll do better next time.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Revelations_

_Author's Note: Please don't hate me, but I may not be writing for a little while. You see, my husband and I bought our house as a foreclosure. We gutted it last summer before we moved in, and remodeled the entire thing, but there still is some work needing done. We have to put tile in the enclosed patio, fix the roof, and dig up the back yard to put tile down so it doesn't turn into a swamp every time it rains. The weather is good now, and we are starting on it here in a couple days. Since we're doing the work all by ourselves it's gonna take a while. Please don't be mad. I hope this chapter can tide you over for a couple weeks… maybe a month (shrinks back in anticipation of having things thrown at me). Anyway, read and review. I like reviews, they make me happy _

_Standard Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!_

"_Wake up!" _

_A booted foot not so gently kicked at the prince's side. Vegeta stirred and within a few seconds was on his feet and ready to fight._

"_Easy there, I'm just here to check on Bulma." Bardock said as he held his hands up in mock surrender._

'_Now I see where Kakkarot gets his idiotic tendencies.' Vegeta thought groggily as Bardock placed his hand behind his head and mumbled sheepishly under his breath. Something about cranky in the morning, but he ignored it._

_Vegeta sat next to a sleeping Bulma and watched her fight an invisible opponent in her sleep. Her eyes darted around under her eyelids, her teeth bared occasionally, her nose twitched, she snorted/growled, and her body twitched and shook. He then looked to Bardock and watched as he took a needle out of his satchel and prep. It._

"_How many does this make?"_

_Bardock paused for a second and lowered the needle to stare his prince in the eyes. He didn't want to tell Vegeta that he had tried at least thirteen other mixtures and had failed each time, but he knew better than to lie to his prince._

"_This will be the fourteenth time. All the others were failures. She took to the last a little longer than expected, but her body quickly recognized the foreign substance and rejected it. She's a lot more resilient than I'd initially thought." Bardock said as he knelt by Bulma's prone form, grasped a hand full of her scruff and shoved the needle in. Bulma's body jerked slightly at the pinch, but she made no move to wake._

"_Why won't she wake up? She's been asleep since I arrived here early this morning." Vegeta pondered as he stroked her nape where the needle had been; calming her into a less fitful sleep._

"_Her rational mind sees what her instinctual mind is doing. She basically shut herself down. Without her rational mind being in sync with her instinctual mind, her body cannot function. In other words, Bulma has thrown herself into a coma of sorts. She's battling herself where we cannot aid her. Like the saying goes. The mind is a dangerous place, and for Bulma; it's her own circle of hell." Bardock explained as he packed his things._

"_I, I saw things." Vegeta began, unsure if he should betray what he'd seen to Bardock._

"_What did you see?" bardock questioned a hopeful and anxious look crossing his features._

_Vegeta struggled to remember all that he'd seen in his dreams, but after a few short minutes it all came to him._

"_It was like I was reliving her memories. I was there, but I wasn't there. This Yaumcha, he tricked one of her kind into betraying their king. Frieza then destroyed their planet and took Bulma as his own personal slave. He sent Yaumcha to check up on Bulma. Seems the human is nothing more than a puppet; following Frieza everywhere his strings are pulled. Frieza really worked them over, but there are still some of her kind left to…" Vegeta didn't get to finish because of Bardocks shout of joy._

"_HA HA!! THAT'S IT!" Bardock yelled as he took out a pad of paper and a book from his satchel and began scribbling coordinates on it._

"_What are you talking about, what's it? Have you found a way to return her to normal?" Vegeta growled as he tried to follow what Bardock was writing._

"_Yes, and no. You see, if there are others like her, there's a good chance their DNA is not separate the way hers was. If we can find a Loupgaru and get a sample of their blood to test, then maybe we can do a blood transfusion via the R.C. and combine her blood with that of a Loupgaru of stronger genetics." Bardock said as he handed Vegeta the coordinates he'd written on the paper._

_Vegeta snatched it from Bardocks hand and turned his back to read what was written._

"_You want me to search here?! Surely you must be joking. No creature in it's right mind would settle on Orodonesei. That's the land of the slave traders." Vegeta said as he tossed the paper back to Bardock._

_Snatching it out of the air and crumpling it in his fist Bardock struggled to keep his temper in check. The impertinence of his prince was incredible; not to mention his seemingly effortless ability to enrage everyone he came in contact with._

"_Yes, and you were aware that Frieza took the humans and Loupgaru alike from their homes on the slave ships. My guess is that there are Loupgaru running around in that quadrant as slaves to the traders."_

"_Why would the traders need the Loupgaru? They would get more money if the beasts were sold, why keep them?" Vegeta growled as he watched Bardock shove the coordinates down the front of his armor and pat his chest as if to say 'Throw it at me again and I'll punch you.' _

"_Because, The traders are known for securing races that are harder to catch for those who are willing to pay the outrageous fee. Basically they use the Loupgaru to do the dirty work of purging the planet. That keeps the traders out of the muck and lets them focus on the business end of things." Bardock said as he handed the book to Vegeta._

"_Your father will wonder why you're leaving. Tell him that Frieza wished you to do a spot check on the trading market. Your father shouldn't question you if he thinks Frieza is involved."_

_Vegeta scratched the back of his head and closed his eyes as he thought of all the possible ways Bardock's plan could go wrong, but in the end, what other choice did he have._

"_I'll take Kakkarot with me." He said hesitantly. " Frieza knows I can't stand your whelps presence. He would surely send both of us to that wretched planet just to piss me off." _

_Bardock shook his head slowly as he thought about it. "Yes, that would be perfect. You both could secure a Loupgaru much easier that way. Here." Bardock said as he handed Vegeta his satchel._

"_What am I to do with this?" Vegeta growled as he accepted the bag and placed the book back inside._

"_There is an instrument in there that will automatically compare DNA and process the data. It will flash green if the cross has been accepted and it will flash red if it is rejected. Basically it will tell you if the Loupgaru you find will be a match for Bulma. All you have to do is take a sample of the blood. Place it on one of the contact strips and insert it into the machine. Bulma's DNA is already downloaded into the machine, so it's all ready for you to use. Take care though; remember to only do a maximum of two tests per day. Any more and you could overload the circuit." _

"_I got it, I got it. Now return to your duties. I have things to do before departure." Vegeta growled as he shouldered past his lead scientist._

_Bardock watched Vegeta walk through the doors and slam them without a care at who could be watching. He sighed and shook his head before kneeling down in front of Bulma's prone form._

"_You've really gotten to him today little one. What did you show him that has him so out of sorts with himself. What are you hiding?" bardock pondered as he sat beside her to remove the stitches from his knee. They were starting to itch._

_:In the palace kitchens:_

"_Aww come on Chi Chi. I'm starving, can't I have just a little taste?" Kakkarot whined as he tried to sneak a taste of the chili she was making and received a ladle across the knuckles as punishment._

"_NO! It's not even close to being done. It'll make you sick if you eat it raw. Honestly Goku, I don't even know how you eat so much. You Saiyajin's are just ridiculous." Chi Chi growled as she chopped some onions and poured them into the giant pot. She then went to the oven to check on the brownies she was making. They were coming along nicely._

"_How do you think your father is coming along? Has he found a cure for Bulma's illness yet?" Chi Chi asked as a feeble attempt at distracting Goku from her food._

_Goku's eyes saddened, and unfortunately, her plan had worked. "Not yet, I've been keeping an eye out for her like he said, but she doesn't seem to recognize any of us yet. She wagged her tail at me yesterday after his tests, and I thought it had worked. Little did I know she was wagging her tail to get me close enough to bite. She really got my hand good." Goku said as he held up the offending appendage. The one Chi Chi had smacked with her ladle. _

_Her eyes widened in realization and she grasped his hand gently in her own to inspect the damage. "Oh Goku, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that was your bad hand. I'd never have smacked it had I realized." She said earnestly._

_Goku merely placed his uninjured hand behind his head and laughed sheepishly. "Gosh Chi Chi, it's not all that bad." He laughed as he watched her smile slowly then return to bustling about the kitchen._

_BOOM!!_

_The slamming of the kitchen doors against the walls was enough to send a few pots and pans hanging above the counter crashing down on Goku's head. Chi Chi jumped and turned to see what all the commotion was about and upon seeing the culprit nearly had a heart attack. Despite her strong desire to take a frying pan to the man's head, her self- preservation instincts kept her quietly bustling about the kitchen as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened._

_After getting over the initial shock and slight pain of the pots raining down on his head; Goku looked for the source of the carnage, and wasn't at all surprised to see a smirking Vegeta leaning against the door jam._

"_Hey, what gives, Vegeta?" Goku said as he gingerly rubbed a bump that was forming on the top of his head._

_Vegeta's nose twitched at the smell of Chi Chi's chili and he eyed the pot hungrily. "You and I are going to the trading posts." He said, finally drawing his attention away from the mouth watering aroma._

_Goku's tail bristled at the mention of the trading post. He and Vegeta had been sent there before to do a spot check, and the things that happened on that planet made him sick. They were nothing but a bunch of animals, and he felt sorry for the races that were captured and sent there. _

"_Why, did Frieza call for another one already?" Goku asked with a puzzled expression on his face. He remembered doing one last year. Frieza doesn't call for spot checks very often, but maybe there was a special reason this time._

_No, but that's what we are going to tell my father. We are going there on your father's hunch. He believes that if we can find another Loupgaru with similar DNA that we can use it to basically rewire the ?Bitch's. I'm bringing you along to make this look more convincing. The last thing we need is for my father to find out what's been going on behind his back. I'd never hear the end of it." Vegeta growled as the vein in his forehead pulsed in agitation at just the thought of listening to his old man lecture him._

"_How long will you two be gone?" Chi Chi asked as she turned from the stove; ladle in hand. She didn't want Goku to go to the trading post, but if it meant helping Bulma, then so be it._

"_Don't know, depends on how long it takes us to find what we're looking for. Your father gave me a devise to use so our job will be a little easier." Vegeta said as he reached into the satchel and pulled out the devise for show._

_Goku nodded "Sure, anything to help Bulma."_

_Chi Chi fidgeted with her apron for a minute. She was afraid to ask, but felt she had to._

"_Prince Vegeta, can I ask you a favor?" She said, noting his irritated scowl at not being addressed formally._

_He thought about it for a moment before nodding his head; signaling her to ask her question._

"_Would it be too much to ask? I mean, I… Oh, hell. I want to see Bulma." She demanded, frustrated with her lack of courage. What was it about that man that made her so afraid?_

_Vegeta's face went blank for a minute then with a sigh he motioned the two other occupants of the room to follow. _

"_Hurry up. I don't have all day." Vegeta growled as he exited the same way he'd entered._

_Chi Chi put the stew on simmer, stirred it once and ran after the prince's retreating form._

_The three walked in silence the entire way, and Vegeta was grateful for it. He didn't feel like explaining anything more about the situation to the annoying female, and if he was being honest with himself; he didn't want to think about it at all. _

_Vegeta paused when they reached the entrance to the gardens and did a quick ki check. When he was sure the coast was clear he ushered the two in quickly then sealed the doors behind them._

_Chi Chi spun around, taking in the beauty of the gardens. Never before had she seen so many exotic species of flowers. She was speechless. She knew these gardens were off limits, but she had always dreamt of what they looked like. Now she knew._

"_It's absolutely beautiful." Chi Chi said as she bent to smell a pink flower._

"_GRRR. COME ON YOU TWAT!! YOU WANT TO SEE THE BITCH OR NOT?!" Vegeta yelled, finally losing his patience._

_Goku frowned disapprovingly. "Gee Vegeta, I really don't appreciate you talking to Chi that way." _

_Vegeta then rounded on Goku and smacked him up side the head. _

"_I'LL SAY WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT, TO WHOEVER THE HELL I WANT. I ANSWER TO NO ONE. LEAST OF ALL YOU!" He yelled, poking a finger at Goku's face. Suddenly his tirade was cut off by a low growl._

_The three companions turned to see a drowsy, and very angry Bulma staring up at them from her position under the tree. She eyed the three warily as she resettled herself into a more comfortably position on the blanket Bardock had provided for her._

"_Great, we must have woke her. Earlier Bardock said she was in a comatose state. I guess his hypothesis was wrong on that one." Vegeta said as he took in Bulma's irritated expression and the agitated flop of her tail; back and forth on the blanket behind her._

_Chi Chi's eyes filled with tears at the sight of her friend's unrecognizing eyes._

"_She, She doesn't even look like the same person. Oh, B. what happened to you?" She cried as she stretched her hand out for Bulma's inspection._

_Vegeta and Goku stood stock still; each on guard. Neither one knew exactly what Bulma was capable of, but they were prepared to grab the younger woman should Bulma prove aggressive._

"_Careful, Chi. She's not herself." Goku warned. " She may try to bite you." _

_Bulma stretched her head out cautiously and tentatively sniffed the offered appendage. She then snorted and pulled her head back and looked away; as if saying she wanted nothing to do with her former friend. Chi Chi dropped to her knees and cried out. She couldn't stand seeing Bulma that way. There had to be something she could do, anything._

_The sound of Chi Chi's soft sobs caused Bulma's ears to twitch. She slowly turned her head toward the source of the sound and cocked her head to the side as she watched Goku try to pull Chi Chi up off the ground._

"_No, Leave me alone." Chi Chi yelled as she swatted at his hands. She wanted to see Bulma, and she didn't want to leave her friend all alone, no matter what her mental state was._

_A gasp from Goku and a startled grunt from Vegeta went unheard by the crying woman, but a gentle pressure on her folded legs caused her to look down. There, in her lap, was Bulma's head. Despite the fact that Bulma wasn't herself, her instincts had calmed enough for her to recognize her friend, and her need for comfort._

"_She recognizes you Chi." Goku said sadly. He was hoping that Bulma would recognize them all, but was sadly mistaken the last time, and wasn't eager for his hand to get bitten again._

_Chi Chi reached out tentatively and gently stroked Bulma's fur. This earned her two tail wags, and nothing more. Chi Chi then beamed up at her lover and smiled gratefully at her prince. Despite everything, she had enough respect for the man to thank him for his kindness._

_Sensing that Chi Chi no longer needed her comfort, Bulma raised her head, stood and walked back over to her blanket where she laid back down._

"_Does she recognize you Vegeta?" Chi Chi asked as she wiped her eyes on her apron._

_Vegeta swallowed hard. He hadn't really tried to find out. In fact, he didn't want to know. He told himself he didn't care, but the truth was; he was afraid she wouldn't. The thought alone, made his chest squeeze almost painfully. He didn't want to find out that she still hated him._

"_Vegeta."_

_He didn't want to know_

"_Vegeta!"_

_He shook his head violently. "What!" He growled out annoyed at being caught thinking to himself._

"_Does she recognize you?" Goku repeated for Chi Chi._

"_Sigh, I don't know. She's been unconscious all the times I've dealt with her since we put her here. I haven't even tried to find out." He confessed, somewhat dejectedly._

_Well, nows as good a time as any." Goku urged. _

_Vegeta flinched. He didn't want to, but his hand itched to feel her soft fur again, and the comfort it brought him. He hated to admit it, but he had missed her. He conceded, and took a few slow steps forward._

_Bulma watched intently as Vegeta came closer, and he could see the subtle changes in her posture telling him she was getting agitated. An emotion he was unfamiliar with wrenched through him, and he lowered his hand and halted his advance. He knew she wouldn't recognize him. Looking sadly in her direction he hardened his countenance before turning to face the others._

"_She doesn't recognize me. She's gonna attack if I get any closer. See?" He gestured towards her tense body angrily as he tried to convince them._

_Suddenly, and without warning Vegeta felt something soft under his hand. He gasped, and looked down. His eyes softened slightly when he saw Bulma nuzzling his hand with her face. She wanted to be petted._

_Vegeta's heart swelled with happiness as he knelt before her and eagerly scratched behind her ears and caressed her head affectionately. He didn't care if the other's saw, because for all they knew he was just petting a dog. No emotion showed on his face, but Goku caught the hope that shone in his eyes and smiled sadly._

'_I really hope we find what we're looking for at the trading post. I don't think Vegeta could take it if she had to stay like this forever.' Goku thought sadly as he hugged Chi Chi to him. _

"_He seems content. Petting her seems to calm him. Maybe we should have gotten him a pet sooner." Chi Chi whispered to Goku as they watched Vegeta slowly stand and back away from Bulma._

"_Come on, we have to get moving, the longer we put this off the longer she's going to be a thorn in my side.Kakkarot, hurry and get your things together, and find a ship large enough for transport." Vegeta said, trying to cover his earlier weaknesses._

"_Will do, Vegeta, we're going." Goku said as he flashed Vegeta a knowing smile._

_Vegeta ignored Goku's look as the three walked to the doors, but he turned to look back as he shut the doors behind them; and he immediately regretted it. Bulma was at the end of her chain, and whimpering sadly for him to come back as she tried desperately to follow him._

_Looking back and seeing Goku and Chi Chi had left him, Vegeta couldn't resist. He shut the doors behind him as he made his way back into the gardens and over to where Bulma was frantically trying to get free. He reached her and she jumped up on him and licked his face. He blushed, but immediately regained his composure and frowned. Bulma's wagging tail slowed as she looked at him and took in his countenance._

"_Go to sleep little one." He said as he pused her down to lie on the blanket. "When you wake up, this will all have been a bad dream." He said as he stroked her head till her breath evened out and he knew she was asleep. He sighed silently, and slipped out of the gardens undetected._

_Meanwhile, In the Soldiers Quarters: _

"_Do you think you packed enough stuff?!" Goku sweat dropped as he scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly._

_Chi Chi turned around and placed her hands on her hips in irritation; causing Goku to shrink back._

"_I don't know how long you're going to be gone, Goku! I'm just trying to make sure you have everything you could possibly need while you're gone." She admonished as she attempted to encase a rather large cooking pot into his supplies._

_Goku grimaced as he turned to leave. "I have to go secure a ship. I'll be at the docking bay." He said as he made his way to the door._

"_That fine." Chi Chi shrugged as she kept shoving random items into his supply bag._

_Just as Goku was reaching for the door, it slid open to reveal a very agitated Saiyajin prince, carrying a satchel and a huge military style supply bag._

"_I guess I have to do everything around here. Grab your stuff and lets get going. I already got the ship, and its prepped for launch. Now move out, or I'm leaving without you." Vegeta growled as he whirled around and slammed the door behind his retreating form._

_Chi Chi immediately stopped what she was doing and pulled the drawstrings on Goku's bag shut. He then raced over and snatched it off the bed, fully intent on rushing after his prince._

"_Eh HUM!!"_

_The tapping of a white boot halted him mid stride, and the clearing of a throat reminded him of what he'd nearly forgotten to do. Goku raced back across the room, gave Chi Chi a quick peck and a hasty goodbye, before flying out the door without even bothering to close it behind him._

"_Psh, men. All they can think about is their next big adventure. Oh well, he'll come back eventually." She thought as she nearly screeched when she remembered her long forgotten Chili was still simmering on the stove._

_Docking Bay:_

_Goku arrived just as Vegeta was closing the cargo hatch. He quickly tossed his stuff through the crack and Vegeta just glared menacingly at him for nearly hitting him in the head with it. Goku just laughed and ran up the ramp and into the ship._

"_This is going to be a loooooonnnnngggg trip." Vegeta groaned as he sealed the hatch and followed Goku's lead up the ramp and into the ship._

_Vegeta immediately made his way to the control panels, took the sheet Bardock had given him out of his armor, and began the daunting but familiar routine of entering the coordinates. The ship hummed to life, and an automatic voice command system gave them their take off warnings._

_LAUNCH IN 5, 4, _

"_Hey VEGETA, warn a person next time!" Goku yelled as he bolted to the seat next to Vegeta and immediately strapped himself in._

_3, 2_

"_You already knew we were on a tight schedule. Get it through your thick skull that I'm not going to…"_

_1 ENGINES ENGAGED!!_

"_BABY SIT YOU!!" Vegeta yelled over the roar of the engines._

_Once they were out of their planet's atmosphere, and safely on course the two travelers stood from their seats. One began the daunting task of itemizing their supplies, food rations, and fuel cells. The other, busied himself with stretches._

"_Hey Vegeta?"_

"_Hn."_

"_Do you think it's going to take us very long to find what my father needs to help Bulma?" Goku asked sadly as he sat Indian style on the ground and rested his arms on his knees._

_At the sound of Bulma's name, Vegeta stopped what he was doing and turned his head to stare at Goku over his shoulder._

"_I have no idea Kakkarot. It all depends on what we find on Ordonesei." He growled as he returned to what he was doing._

_Goku sighed heavily, and allowed himself to fall back onto the steel floor of the ship as the familiar sounds of Vegeta moving methodically throughout the ship, lulled his mind into a weird sense of calm._

"_I hope so. She really is a nice person." Goku said after a long pause._

"_Hn." _

_Vegeta's mind was on what lied ahead. He was certain that after witnessing the battle between Bulma and another of her kind, and after fighting her himself that the Loupgaru were not a race to be taken lightly. They were, part Saiyajin, after all. He had a feeling that things were not going to be as easy for them as Bardock made it sound. He was intimately familiar with the trading posts on Ordonesei as he was forced to buy and sell slaves there for Frieza. He knew Kakkarot despised the trading posts, and was almost certain would also despise him if he was aware of what he'd done under the lizard tyrant. He shook his head free of the terrible memories and incinerated his check list in his left palm. They had three days before they'd reach their destination and he needed a distraction._

"_ACHOOO!"_

_Vegeta's eyes slowly turned to his traveling companion and he watched as Goku wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. Slowly an evil smirk slipped across his lips. _

_As if a he could sense Vegeta's eyes on him, Goku turned to his leader and frowned in confusion. _

"_Why are you looking at me like that Vegeta?"_

"……_."_

"_Vegeta?"_

_All too suddenly Goku realized what that smirk meant when he was sent careening into the far wall by Vegeta's left hook. Goku quickly righted himself and launched a counter attack._

"_Well, at least that answers my questions of how we're going to pass the time!" Goku said merrily as he watched Vegeta form a ki ball in his hands. Then he frowned when it actually made contact, sending him spiraling to the ground. He laid still for a moment, just staring up at Vegeta, who was hovering over his head._

'_This is going to be a looooooonnnnnnggggg trip" Goku thought as he prepared himself for another onslaught, wrought by his ever bloodthirsty prince._

_Author's Note: Well, after a long hiatus I'm back. I apologize for the delay, but Mew just recently took ill. I thought it was just something she ate, but after a week and she's not any better, I'm gonna have to try and get her into the Vet today. She says sorry, but she just hasn't felt up to helping me with my fic. I'll try and get the next chapter out ASAP. Be prepared for some twisted shit when Vegeta and Goku make planet fall!!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Cabin Fever and a Nervous Breakdown_

_Author's Note: Ok, the last chapter's reviews were a little disappointing. I was expecting _

_more, but whatever. I'll be expecting better reviews on this chapter. Yes I am demanding _

_more reviews. The lack of reviews on my last chapter made me feel like this story is _

_losing it's appeal for the readers. Thanks a bunch to Majestic-Muse and Lenk for your _

_reviews. I shall keep writing! Anyway, Mew just hopped on my lap and is demanding that _

_I let ya'll know that she's back. She has a little upper respiratory infection, but she's _

_feeling a lot better now that she's got her medicine! Now, that everything is in order… _

_On with chapter 13!_

_Goku wasn't a normal Saiyajin. Sure, he enjoyed battle just as much as any other, but he was genuinely good natured; not a common Saiyajin trait. He didn't like causing pain or death needlessly, and he would rather be at peace with the people he came in contact with. He found it to be a lot easier getting on with people who didn't despise you wherever you went. He was always honest, blunt to a fault, and often thought an idiot for his lack of wit. Truth be told, Goku was smart. He was just a little thick headed sometimes, but that came out of necessity. He hated awkward situations, and often would play the idiot just to avoid them. And for the most part it worked, but today, today he was having a really hard time reigning in his temper. The source of his anger, The Prince of all Saiyajins himself, Vegeta._

_Vegeta had been pacing the control room for hours. He was becoming more and more agitated as the days wore on. He snapped at Goku constantly, and grumbled to himself if he wasn't. He was solitary by nature, and didn't really need nor like the company of others. He'd been alone for most of his life under Frieza, which made him even more aggressive and anti-social than most Saiyajins. His anger towards a certain blue furry beast grew by the day, and he couldn't remember for the life of him why he was helping her in the first place. If it wasn't for her, he could be back in his palace, sleeping alone in his bed, training alone in his training chambers, and not having to feel the eyes of another being constantly watching him. It was starting to drive him insane. Goku had been staring at him for the past few hours and frankly he'd had just about as much as he could stand. He felt like a caged animal. Once they made planet fall he was going to have to kill something, and fast. _

_Goku kept watching Vegeta pace. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. He sucked in a deep breath. Back and forth, back and forth, back and _

"_WILL YOU STOP THAT DAMNED PACING!? YOU'RE DRIVING ME NUTS!!" Goku erupted, his high pitched yell resounding off the walls; producing the most irritating echo._

_Vegeta, being caught off guard by Goku's outburst stopped his pacing to stare openly at him. Goku's chest was heaving and he was no longer lounging across the captains chair. He was standing, back rigid, taking in deep gulps of air. Vegeta smirked in absolute mirth. He never thought that Goku had buttons to push, and seeing as how Goku had been dancing all over his the entire trip, he felt it was only fair to return the favor._

"_Kakkarot, I'll do whatever I want, whenever I want, and there's nothing you can do about it." He smirked, crossing his arms and turning to resume his pacing where he left off._

_Goku took the bait. For the first time in a long time, he was mad. Vegeta had been harping and ragging on him the entire trip, and there's only so much physical and verbal abuse that one can take; it was the last straw._

"_Wanna bet?" Goku said before launching across the room; his fist connecting with the back of Vegeta's head._

_Vegeta's head snapped forward, but other than that he didn't budge. Slowly he turned it back and stared blankly at the heaving man behind him._

'_Well, that was unexpected.' Vegeta thought to himself. He hadn't thought Goku had it in him to openly assult his prince; would wonders never cease? He smirked again._

"_Are you done?" He chortled. Goku frowned deeper than he was before, and Vegeta steeled himself for battle. If he couldn't pace and think in peace, then fighting would just have to do. Unfortunately, Goku's version of fighting when he was mad wasn't what Vegeta was used to during their sparring sessions. This was a whole new ballgame._

_Vegeta lunged at Goku and got him in a near headlock, but when Goku splayed on him, he was taken off guard. The two toppled to the ground and began wrestling around like two kids on a playground; fighting over a cute little girl._

_There was biting, punching, kicking, fingers in eyes and noses, and pulling of tails. This wasn't a sparring session, this was an all and all out brawl. Being an only child, and a prince, Vegeta was at a complete loss. There were no rules, and definitely no form. Suddenly he found himself in a death lock with Goku. He had him in a head lock, and goku had him in a scissor hold. Both were trying to escape, but neither succeeding. They sat that way for a few minutes, each thinking of a way out, until Goku's eyes narrowed and an evil smirk crept to his face. Vegeta's eyebrow raised in confusion, which soon turned to horror as he could only watch helplessly as Goku grabbed hold of his swaying tail._

"_YAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" Vegeta yelled squeezing Goku's head tighter, nearly cutting off his air supply, but Goku yanked back with equal force._

"_Say Uncle!" Goku choked out around Vegeta's arm pressed into his neck._

_Vegeta's eyes were watering as he shook his head no. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't give up. He opened his eyes and nearly screamed like a school girl when he saw what Goku was planning to do to his tail next._

_Goku had his tail fisted in both hands and was preparing to bite down on it. He paused for a moment and turned his head to stare his opponent in the eyes. _

"_Don't you even think about it, Kakkarot!" Vegeta yelled, trying to free his tail without letting go of his rival's head._

_Goku made to take a bite, and Vegeta cried out again; stalling his attack. Goku was playing with him; like a cat with a mouse and Vegeta knew it. He was royally pissed off._

"_LET GO OF MY TAIL YOU THIRD CLASS SON OF A BITCH!!" He roared as he tried to change their position and force Goku let go, unfortunately for Vegeta's poor tail, their turning caused Goku's face to smack into the floor; effectively clamping his sharp teeth down hard on his tail._

"_AAAAHHHHHHH" Vegeta roared springing from the floor; all thoughts of keeping Goku restrained lost in the haze of pain._

_Goku immediately spat Vegeta's tail out of his mouth and began spitting out little hairs and swiping at his tongue in absolute disgust._

'_What the hell has gotten into me?' Goku thought as he watched Vegeta blow on his tail and the tears well up in his eyes as he took in the battered appendage. He then turned angry eyes to Goku._

"_You are going to die a very slow and very painful death, Kakkarot. I'll make sure of that._

_Goku merely blinked and stared blankly at his traveling companion who sat Indian style on the floor. He watched Vegeta nurse his injured tail, and frowned._

"_Serves you right. You've been a real jerk the entire trip. I'm sick of you treating me like I don't have feelings." Goku grumbled out_

_Vegeta growled as he rubbed the soreness out of his tail and was about to shoot back a witty retort when the computer's robotic voice rang out._

_PLANET FALL IN FIVE MINUTES…. PLANETFALL IN FIVE MINUTES…. YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION ORDONSEI. PLEASE BE SEATED… PLANETFALL IN FOUR MINUTES_

_The two Saiyajin's looked at each other for a split second before rushing to strap themselves in._

"_Hey Vegeta?"_

"_WHAT?" _

"_Do you remember what happened the last time we were here?" Goku asked hesitantly._

_Digging deep into the vault of memories from his horrible past, Vegeta pulled out the memory of landing on planet Ordonesei._

"_OH SHIT!" Was all he managed before they hit the planet's atmosphere. _

_The ship bounced around with such force that the two occupants were nearly ripped from their seats. A red distress light began flashing, illuminating the ship with an ominous glow, and the alarm drew blood from their ears. Vegeta cracked an eye open and glanced out the porthole to the side and grimaced._

"_BRACE FOR IMPACT, KAKKAROT!" He yelled. Not five seconds later the ship crashed into a soft air cushion on the landing dock. _

_After the bouncing motion had ceased both occupants opened their eyes and glared at one another in mutual understanding. The traders of Ordonesei hated Saiyajins for their involvement with the intergalactic planet counsel. Despite their reputation for being ruthless warriors and planet purgers, the Saiyajins were also known for their fierce loyalty to the planets with whom they had an alliance. The traders didn't want any Saiyajins snooping around for fear of them finding some of their "illegal" slaves. A fight with the Saiyajins would mean the planets demise, and a war with Frieza they were not ready for. So, as a precaution, the traders set a force field around their planet that would shut down all Saiyajin ships and alert their control center of their arrival. _

_The two males unstrapped themselves and bolted for the porthole. Vegeta growled low when he saw the slave traders surrounding the ship, ki guns in hand. They were no real threat, but the ki guns stung like a limb that had fallen asleep. He shouldered Goku and the latter turned inquisitive eyes to his prince._

"_What do we do now?" _

_Vegeta's smirk was contagious, as his words reached Goku's ears._

"_It's time to remind these being who is top dog here." Vegeta turned and shoved Goku towards the control panel. "Open the hatch. If they open fire on us, we'll take them out, got it?" He growled giving Goku a warning look when he opened his mouth to protest._

_Goku shut his mouth and nodded an affirmative before slamming his hand down on the button to lower the hatch, and raced to his previous spot beside Vegeta._

_The slave traders watched as the hatch lowered and a few raised their guns in fear. They weren't taking any chances._

_Vegeta was the first to descend the ramp with Goku close behind. He took bold steps off the ramp and onto the dusty ground right up to the largest trader in the group. Goku hung back glaring daggers at the rest of the traders. He didn't like hurting people, but the atrocities he'd seen committed by the traders of this planet made him sick, and he felt no remorse for killing anyone who tried to attack first._

_The traders took in the Saiyajin male's posture and knew that they were on sinking sand. The Saiyajins were on guard, and they knew if one wrong move was made; none of them would leave their spot alive._

_The largest trader gulped and hesitantly glanced at the Saiyajin standing before him. "Prince Vegeta, what a pleasant surprise! We weren't expecting you so soon. Has Frieza business with us at this time?" The trader asked, his voice nearly cracking with the strain._

_Vegeta sneered. "What business is it of your Tunak-tun? I answer to no one on this filthy planet. What brings us here is our business alone." He growled as he drew his lips back to reveal his extremely sharp canines._

_Tunak-Tun drew back in fear. He was well aware of what this particular Saiyajin was capable of. Even for a Saiyajin, Prince Vegeta was known to be aggressive and unpredictable. He had seen the wrath and destruction wrought by his hands, and didn't feel the need to add his own head to the countless numbers that bloodied the young prince's hands._

_Vegeta sniffed the air and sneered. 'Kakkarot' He thought out through a mind link._

_Goku's eyes narrowed 'Yeah, what's up?'_

'_You can smell their fear just as I can, they're either hiding something, or they remember what happened the last time we were here.' Vegeta thought, and smirked with the memory._

_Goku's eyes slid to slits as he glared hungrily at the traders and smirked at Vegeta._

'_Yeah, you're right. We might as well get this over with. Grab Tunak and lets get started. I'll deal with the other traders.' He thought as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. He hated doing what he was about to do, but even he knew when killing was a necessity._

_Vegeta nodded his head once before snarling at Tunak-Tun and snatching him up off the ground by the collar of his tunic. Tunak-Tun let out an ear piercing wail that set off a chain reaction. The other traders fired their ki guns at Vegeta, which he blocked by simply raising his ki, and Goku snapped to attention; killing all the traders within reach till only three men were left standing. Two Saiyajins and one Ordonian._

_Tunak-Tun cracked an eye open, and howled out in fear at the carnage around him. Vegeta jerked the sound out of him before it could cause any permanent damage to his sensitive hearing and pulled him face to face. He growled menacingly and snapped at Tunak's face causing the larger man to cry out again in fear._

"_Where are the Loupgaru?" Vegeta demanded, nodding to Goku to retrieve the satchel from the ship. When he looked back to the man held in his death grip he frowned. _

"_Did I stutter Tunak-Tun? I asked you a question. Where are the Loupgaru?" vegeta growled as he gnashed his teeth at the man in front of him._

_Tunak-Tun's yellow skin turned a subtle shade of green as the fear inside gnawed at him. He tried to shy away, but Vegeta's grip only got stronger. He whimpered in fear before relenting. He didn't want to die, and he prayed that if he gave the crazy male what he wanted, that his life would be spared. He took a huge gulp of air and then expelled it._

"_They are stationed all over the planet. You've come at a very good time for them however, for they have not yet been deployed. You'd probably have the best luck at the tavern. Marlo the bartender would know where to find any stragglers you can't locate." He squeaked out as Vegeta laughed cruelly and tossed him to the side. He hit the dirt with a sickening thud and began crawling away as fast as he could, only to be halted by a booted foot on his tunic. He turned over and cowered in fear as he stared up into Vegeta's deadly eyes._

"_I told you what you wanted to know, now please, let me go." He petitioned as he tried to free his tunic from its trap, to no use._

_Vegeta's cruel laughter halted his feeble attempts, and he looked up just in time to be sent to the other dimension by a very well aimed ki blast to the skull. Tunak-Tun's body fell to the side, blood pooling around his head. Vegeta merely sneered at the body before using it's tunic to wipe the splattered blood off his white gloved hands._

_Goku grimaced at Vegeta's brutal display, but knew that it had to be done. This was a mission that required stealth. If any other traders figured out why they were here, Frieza would be on them like white on rice. He just hoped that they would be able to find what they were looking for and get off the planet before anyone else figured out they were here._

_Vegeta snatched the satchel from Goku's hands and checked it's contents. Once he was sure he had all that was needed, he motioned for Goku to follow as he made his way from the docking bay into the city._

"_Where are we headed to first, Vegeta?"_

"_To the tavern. We're going to see if the Marlo is as useful as Tunak said." He growled as he slung the satchel over his shoulder and began his march through the filthy streets._

'_I hope we can pull this off with out anyone finding out.' Goku thought as he quickened his pace to follow his prince. _

_The stench of death and rotting flesh filled his nose and that scent was accompanied by the stench of body fluids and refuse. Vegeta had to fight the strong urge he felt to throw up. Looking to his left he caught glimpse of a man raping some foreign creature in the gutters, and to his right he saw a few children eating the bowels of a dead slave. He grimaced. Even he was not hardened enough to no feel some sort of disgust with what he saw. The sound of retching caught his attention and he turned just in time to see Goku pull his head up from the gutter and wipe his mouth on his sleeve._

_Goku stared at Vegeta for a moment, and he could tell that Vegeta was not totally unaffected by what he had seen and smelled. A slight smirk graced his features at the thought and Vegeta returned it with a shake of his head and a roll of his eyes._

"_Lets go Kakkarot. We don't have time to sight see." _

_Goku laughed heartily at Vegeta's twisted attempt at humor. Despite everything that Vegeta was, Goku knew one thing was for sure. Vegeta was a true friend, especially when the chips were down. He watched as Vegeta disappeared down an alleyway, and followed him into the aforementioned tavern hidden down a set of stairs._

"_Pretty secluded, huh."_

_Vegeta snorted. "There's something to be said about a tavern hidden. There are secrets here that are shared by those who do not wish to be known."_

_Goku looked puzzled. "what do you mean. Vegeta?"_

_The two entered the tavern and took a seat with their backs to a wall._

"_What I mean is, this place is a safe haven for the Loupgaru. They are slaves by force, and are employed by the traders. This is where they come to…talk." Vegeta's words died in his throat as a beautiful green haired woman with striking blue eyes sashayed to their table in a barely there corseted dress. He eyed her suspiciously as a familiar aroma assailed his senses. He knew the scent, knew it well in fact, but couldn't place it. All he knew was that it wasn't a scent that he associated with fondness._

"_What'll ya have boys?" She asked as she winked at Vegeta. _

_He watched as her hands clenched the pad of paper in her hands almost crumpling it with her grip. He took in her rigid and flighty stance. The hairs at his nape stood on end and he found himself growling out a warning for the flightly female to maintain her distance._

_Vegeta cast Goku a warning glance that the other male returned. _

'_This wench must be Marlo.' Vegeta thought to Goku._

'_No kidding. What's that smell? I can't put my finger on it.'_

'_Don't let her touch you Kakkarot, whatever you do. I know that scent, and its not a pleasant one.'_

_Goku's eyes shot to the woman standing impatiently waiting to take their order. "I'll have a sephyrale." he said and watched in morbid fascination as her black fingernails gripped her pen to write._

"_Nothing for me." Vegeta said as he too watched her write._

_Well, you're not much fun. Sure you don't want a drink honey? It'll be on the house._

_Vegeta sneered and took a handful of her green hair in his gloved hand and slammed her face to the table._

"_On second thought I do believe I will take something." Vegeta said with a low growl, drawing the attention of more than one table full of patrons. "I'll have the location of every single Loupgaru on this planet." Vegeta ground out close to her ear. Marlo turned her head so she could look into vegeta's eyes. She growled feral and attempted to scratch his face with her claws. She missed and slashed through the table. Goku stood quickly as the table began to melt away into ash._

"_Acid!" He howled out in shock. He knew he'd smelled something funny about the beautiful woman, but he didn't think she'd be full of acid._

_Vegeta grabbed both her arms and held her still. She tried to spit at him and he smacked her face causing her to spew acid onto another table._

"_You're destroying your own tavern Marlo. Why don't you cooperate and save yourself the cost. I'll let you go, but if you try to attack myself or my comrade, I'll not hesitate to blast you into the afterlife, got it?" Vegeta warned. Marlo shook her head in understanding and fell into a chair after Vegeta released her._

_She rubbed her wrists and glared at the two men standing above her, and refused to speak. Vegeta glared at her, and she gasped; standing._

_She took Vegeta by surprise when she stared at him; staring so intently into his eyes that he felt as if she were trying to read into his soul. He flinched and backed away from her before growling and shoving her back into her seat._

"_What the hell is your problem whench!" He screamed, rattled by her sudden change of demeanor._

_Marlo turned hopeful eyes to up Vegeta, and fell to her knees in front of him._

"_Please Prince, please, for the sake of all. Save her, she is the only hope for our people!"_

_Vegeta took a step back in horror. How did she know about the little blue Loupgaru? He knelt down and lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes._

"_How do you know?" Vegeta rasped low._

_Marlo cried out and transformed into a green Loupgaru. They heard the cries of several other men and women who were in the tavern and watched as they too transformed._

_Vegeta and Goku stared in awe at her hideous transformation. She was deformed and discolored. She was the total opposite of what they had witnessed with Bulma. Bulma had been beautiful transformed or no, but this creature was absolutely disgusting. The others in the bar were no better. Some had no ears, some had no tail, and some; had legs so deformed they could hardly stand. How were they supposed to find the champion blood they needed on a planet full of refuse._

_Vegeta looked at Goku who stared back in defeat. They had their work cut out for them. Vegeta just hoped that their trip wouldn't be in vain._

'_Hold on Bitch.' Vegeta thought as he took out Bardock's device._

_Author's Note: How does Marlo know about Bulma's plight? What is wrong with the Ordonian Loupgaru? How are Vegeta and Goku going to get back home with their ship damaged beyond repair, and what is going on back home on Vegetasei? Find out in the next time. _


	14. Author's Note

Author's Note!

I am sorry for this, but I won't be writing for a good while. You see, my dogs were poisoned with industrial strength rat poison a couple nights ago, and we are working with the dog warden and local police dept. to try and find out who did it. We are also going to be installing cameras around the perimeter of the house, and I have a lot of things to take care of. The dogs are ok right now, but the vet has told me to keep an eye on them in case they have relapses. All I know is that I'm pissed as hell, and when I find out who those sick little bastards are that did this to my dogs… I'll make them pay! I want to shove that box of rat poison down their throats, and let them see how it feels. Anyway, enough of that type of talk. I am sorry, but I will write again as soon as I get this all taken care of.

Ginger (Big Mamma): 6 year old

Pilot (Sweetheart): 2 ½ year old

Ryder (Itty bitty bubba): 9 mo. Old


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Journey Continues

Author's Note: I am sorry for not updating until now, but I've had some crazy stuff happen that has taken priority in my life. I got laid off, one of my dogs died, and I'm babysitting my nephew almost full time because my brother is going through some custody B.S., and sister-in-law is at risk of getting laid off. Needless to say, crap happens and life goes on. I'm not working, and now I think I might have time to actually write. Hopefully this chapter makes up for the long hiatus, and again I'm sorry. I will never wait this long to update again. Read, Review and Enjoy! ^_^

The needle slipped easily under her skin, and she let out a hiss of pain when she felt her life blood flowing from her body into the machine sitting on the ground beside the Saiyajin prince.

"That should do it, I think." Vegeta said as he none to gently jerked the needle from Marlo's skin, causing her to let out a startled yelp.

"Watch yourself Saiyajin. That hurt a little more than necessary." Marlo snarled before transforming back to her humanoid form. She looked around the room as she felt eyes on her, and couldn't help but shudder at the sight of what her people had been reduced to. They had once been a strong race, but after the death of their king, and the exile of their future princess, things had never been the same. They were now slaves living in squalor; left to scavenge for what little there was on the slave trader planet's barren wastelands.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

She turned her head at the sound of the machine, and jumped in fright when the prince let out a roar and launched a stool across the bar.

"Easy Vegeta, we still have two more tries before we have to give it a rest. There's plenty of Loupgaru to go around." Goku said cheerily; motioning around the bar at the now terrified patrons.

Vegeta growled low in his throat. He slowly turned his angry eyes to his traveling companion, and before Goku could react; had his large neck tight within his grip, and his much larger body pinned to the table behind them.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Have you gone mad?" Goku yelled around his choking gasps. He was unsure of why his prince was acting the way he was, but he was sure it was for a good reason. He watched in apprehension as Vegeta slowly regained his composure enough to release his grip, and take a few steps back. He then watched as Vegeta rounded on Marlo and treated her with the same angry resentment.

"There have to be some Loupgaru around here that aren't infected with some disease or crippled from inbreeding. You and your patrons disgust me. Tell me where I can find others that are still pure!" Vegeta growled out.

Marlo shrunk back at the sudden change in Vegeta's demeanor. She may be an uncooperative Bitch at times, but there were some lines that even she wouldn't cross. He was pulling out all stops. He had assaulted her, tore her bar apart, insulted her and her kind, and was now asking for her help. He was a man of action, and a man of extreme pride; of that she was sure. However, this behavior was new to her; something she never expected from the Saiyajin Prince.

'I can sense his desperation, and taste his fear. He really seems to care about her.' Marlo though sadly as she gently laid her hand on the one tightly wound around her tiny neck.

"Don't worry young prince; I will help you. There are plenty of us left who escaped the fate that we now suffer. Some have become slaves to the traders, while others have strong holds on the outskirts of town; living in the harsh desert mountains. There is one that may be of help to you. However, convincing him to aid you may be more of a challenge than you'd think. He was an alpha soldier in the king's army, and one hell of a fighter. He is much stronger than he was then due to the fact that he's been living under harsher circumstances. He has also grown harder in the head. Some say he has gone mad, others say he is waiting for someone to call him to action. I think he's just getting old and senile." Marlo smirked.

"Where can we find him, and what is his name?" Vegeta asked skeptically. He didn't trust Marlo, and was getting a bad feeling about this mystery Loupgaru.

Her smirk widened. "His name is Diago, and he can be found in the mountain cave shaped like one of us. He has a strong hold there. He and nearly a dozen other Loupgaru soldiers have made that cursed place their home, and use its dangerous caverns as protection from the pesky traders. Diago is one of the only Loupgaru the traders are actually afraid of. They don't go anywhere near those mountains unless they really need to bring something down, and even then they are hesitant. His strength is legendary, and he is nearly three times my size in height alone. Do not disrespect him, and do not underestimate his strength Saiyajins. If you do, you may end up dead like so many others. I can take you as far as the city limits, but do not ask me to go further. I am afraid my body would not hold up against the harsh climate." Marlo rasped before walking back behind the bar to gather her things.

Vegeta and Goku cast each other a worried glance before Vegeta motioned for Goku to wait outside. He had a few things to discuss with Marlo in private. He knew her from previous trips to the market, and that she was getting on in years; though she hardly showed it. He knew this life was wearing her thin, and felt that it would be better for her if he allowed her to aid them in their search before releasing her from her bonds of servitude. He just wanted to get a few things straight with her before their departure. After he was sure Goku was out of ear shot, Vegeta crept around the counter and up to Marlo.

"You know I don't trust you Marlo. You sold me out to Frieza the last time I tried to get some better weapons for my father. You had better not be lying about this Diago mutt. You still owe me a life debt. You know what I mean by that." Vegeta whispered into her ear.

Marlo's back straightened, and she sighed in resignation. How was Vegeta to know that she sold him out to Frieza because that lizard threatened to kill the young prince. She knew he would be the one to save her princess, and she just couldn't allow him to die with that at stake. She held no ill will against him for his decision, and if she was being completely honest with herself, she was glad to leave this miserable existence she called a life. Maybe she would get to return to her former glory in heaven, and see her family once again. She braced herself and turned to face Vegeta with stone cold eyes.

"Yes, I do. I also understand that you have a mission to complete. Believe me when I say that you must hurry. Every moment you waste, the more danger she will be in of never being able to return to her former self. Please, for all our sakes, reign in your harsh and prideful tongue." Marlo growled before storming past Vegeta's livid form and out to greet Goku.

Goku had been dozing on one of the benches outside the bar when Marlo and Vegeta stormed out. He nearly fell over, but caught himself with his tail.

"Quit playing around Kakkarot, we have work to do. Here, take this, and don't break it. I'll kill you if you do." Vegeta warned as he shoved Bardock's device into his hands.

"Right, gotcha." Goku said under his breath as he slung it over his shoulder and fell in line behind Marlo and his prince. He just hoped they would find the sample they needed before it was too late.

The three traveled through the city as quickly as Marlo's shaky legs could carry her. It had been years since she'd felt safe enough to leave the sanctuary of her bar, and she fought gravity every step of the way. Somehow, she managed to lead the two Saiyajins to the far gates of the city. Beyond the gates lay a barren waste land. Dust and sand storms ravaged the land, and the red earth below their feet nearly scorched through their Saiyajin armor and boots. The two men scanned the expance before them, and steeled themselves for the trek ahead of them.

"Here, take these. It will make it easier for you to breathe." Marlo instructed. She placed two breathing masks in each of their hands, and stepped back as they positioned them over their mouth and noses. "This is as far as I go. I wish you luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for." She said cheerfully as if expecting some great reward.

Vegeta stared down into her eyes, and as their gazes met felt a slight pang of sympathy for the poor, deformed creature standing before him.

SQUISH!!!

"VEGETA!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!" Goku erupted. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. "She just helped us. Why?" He asked, genuinely confused.

Vegeta let her small frame fall to the ground in an unceremonious heap. Marlo's oddly colored blood dripping off his once pristine, white gloved hand as he shot Goku a knowing look.

"Leave it to you Kakkarot to be the only one totally oblivious to everyone and everything around you. She asked for it. She was old, deformed, and disgraced. Her family was killed, and she was left to fend for herself in the hell hole. She wanted death; her eyes were pleading for it. You wouldn't know because you never look at anything but what interests you. You have to pay attention, and read people. How else will you ever find out if they are deceiving you. It was her reward for helping us. I set her free." Vegeta said angrily as he walked over and snatched the machine from over Goku's shoulder, and placed it over his own.

Goku stood dumbfounded; staring after his prince's retreating form with something akin to admiration buzzing around in the back of his head. He had always thought Vegeta to be a spoiled, prideful, arrogant man. Now he knew there was something more to his friend than what even he could see.

'I wonder if she could see it?' Goku thought as he ran to catch up with Vegeta before he lost sight of him in the sand storm that was beginning to cloud their already blurred vision.

The two walked in silence for what seemed like hours before they saw anything larger than an ant hill. They now understood why the Loupgaru would choose such a remote and desolate place for their strong hold, and why only the most desperate traders would seek them out. The journey was long and arduous. They were suffering from hunger and extreme dehydration as it was, and they were sure not even the strongest of some races could have made it as far as they had without so much as drop of water. They were Saiyajins after all, but even they had their limits.

"Vegeta, we need to find shelter soon, and something to eat and drink before we die. This is getting serious." Goku yelled above the roaring wind and sand; blinking hard against the sand that threatened to blind him.

Vegeta paid little attention to Goku's whining, and trudged on. He was used to going without food and water. Frieza had often used that particular form of torture on his person when he disobeyed orders or muddled up a purging mission. It was to weaken his body, and he was sure Frieza hoped to weaken his mind, but he was never about to give in to that Bastard of a lizard. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of cracking. However, he was no idiot. He knew Goku was right, and was about to respond when a staggering sight stopped both men in their tracks.

"That must be their strong hold." Goku said clearly impressed.

Vegeta merely nodded as he stared at the giant expance of dangerous mountains lying just on the line of the horizon. They slowly made their way closer and upon further inspection now understood what Marlo had meant by the cave in the mountain that looked like a Loupgarou. The mountainous expanse divided twice leaving two gorges where water fell freely and gathered at the bottom like a moat. The middle expanse had two peaks that resembled dog ears, and the rest was shaped like a dog. The cave was a giant hole that came out of the mouth of the mountain, and Vegeta wondered momentarily if the Loupgaru didn't in fact carve the stone themselves in defiance of the traders. His thoughts however, were interrupted by Goku's loud cry.

"VEGETA!! LOOK!!!" Goku yelled as he pointed up towards the mouth of the cave. Vegeta's gaze followed, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

There in the mouth of the cave stood the largest Loupgaru he had ever seen. Well, he'd only seen Bulma and the deformed wretches that claimed to be Loupgaru, but this beast was different. He was a dark blue that anyone would have mistaken for black, with the most piercing blue eyes. The fur on his back stood on end from the base of his tail to the top of his head, and the most unique thing about him was the giant scar running from just above his left eye down below it, and all the way down to his shoulder. It was defined by white fur that had grown over the scar, and his shier size and mass forced Vegeta to believe Marlo's words of warning. This was not a creature to be underestimated. If Bulma proved to be a challenge for him; he could only imagine what kinds of trouble a seasoned warrior could cause him.

"Make no threatening moves Kakkarot. This Loupgaru is the one we are searching for." Vegeta warned as he stood stock still.

"Seriously? Yea, I don't doubt that at all. Man he's impressive. What are we going to to? He doesn't look too thrilled to see us here." Goku said nervously as he stared at the creature that stood staring at them, teeth bared, ready to fight.

"DIAGO! I'VE GOT SOME BUSINESS WITH YOU!" Vegeta yelled over the roaring sandstorm. The two Saiyajin's watched as the Loupgaru stopped his snarling, and regarded them with a cold and calculating stare. He was sizing them up and determining their worth. He was determining whether they deserved to live or die for their impertinence.

"What do we do now, Vegeta?" Goku asked as he took a hesitant step back.

"We wait. It's up to him now what our fate is." Vegeta stated calmly.

So they waited. Neither man expecting what happened next.

Author's Note: What will Diago decide to do with our two handsome Saiyajin heroes, and just what makes this Loupgaru so important to Bulma's survival? Find out next time. Well, what did you think? Was it worth the wait? I know it was short, but I plan to explain a lot in the next chapter. Please review, and let me know what you think. ^_^


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Diamond In The Rough

Author's Note: Thank you to the few readers who have graced me with their words of encouragement. I really do appreciate them. Anyway, I really tried to put a lot more effort into this chapter. I HATE THIS CHAPTER!!! Cough, Cough, Anyway, I'll admit, I'm a little rusty from my extended hiatus from writing, but hopefully I'll be able to shake the writer's block I have. I tried to make it a little longer to make up for the long wait. Sorry, I just started a new job a few weeks ago, and I already made the front page of the newspaper after taking down two big guys; two days in a row during robberies that happened at my store. Man, people just don't get it. DON'T FUCK WITH TINY WHITE GIRLS!!! Anyway, thanks for the reviews, enjoy! ^_^

He had been hardened by battle. He had witnessed and partaken in acts of violence none could have imagined in their wildest dreams. He shook the dust from his grizzled and coarse fur; it was longer in some areas, and shorter in others. Battle had molded him into the perfect warrior, and his fur grew longer where he needed the most protection. Scars littered his body in the form of white streaks of fur against his naturally dark blue hue, and his ice blue eyes gave him an absolutely wild look. However, despite his rough appearance, to those of his own race and any other, he was a magnificent sight to behold. His senses were honed, and his muscles tensed; his wild blue eyes locked on the creatures below. He bared his fangs in indignation as he stared down from his strong hold before he raised his head and sniffed the air.

He inhaled deep. The scent hung thick in the air despite the sand and dust. It had been a long time since he'd smelled flowers, and the strange creatures standing before him reeked of them. He closed his eyes and inhaled deep; how he longed to see his home again. The smell of jasmine, lilac, and nightshade were the strongest, but there was another scent that caught his attention. His eyes snapped open at the immediate recognition, before narrowing in distrust as his gaze once again fell on their prone forms. True to his nature, he was overcome by curiosity, and a longing to find the answers to all the questions raging for acknowledgement in his mind. He snorted the sand from his nostrils, and quickly but carefully descended the mountain. He assumed that even if their business was another planet purge or bounty hunt he would at least get some exercise and time off the shit hole of a planet he and his men were forced to call their temporary home.

Vegeta and Goku watched in rapt fascination as Diago made quick time of the nearly flat mountain face. Their anxiety momentarily lifted given the beasts eagerness to meet them. It seemed that Bulma wasn't the only one whose curiosity got the better of her.

"Man, he sure is an intimidating presence. The only thing that seems to be holding him to that ledge are his claws. I sure wouldn't want to be on the bad end of that!" Goku exclaimed excitedly. He had only just met Bulma, and was completely unaware of the shier strength her people were capable of. Any creature whose claws could cut through stone like butter had to be impressive on the battle field.

Vegeta merely grunted in acknowledgement as he watched Diago make one final leap to the parched ground below. This Loupgaru looked absolutely wild to him. Bulma was georgeous, a rarity among her kind; she also had an exotic look about her, but this particular Loupgaru was a warrior unlike any he had ever seen before. This Loupgaru radiated power, strength, and experience. This Loupgaru was battle aged; like a fine wine. He was well aware of the Loupgaru's strength, and was in no position to test the power of a seasoned warrior like Diago on a planet where his ki wielding abilities were null and void. Vegeta knew he was strong, but when in a head to head battle with a creature that relied on bodily strength alone; he knew he was outmatched. Bulma was strong in her own right, especially for a female of her species, and with the Loupgaru's ability to block or absorb ki at will; that was something Vegeta couldn't contend with, and he knew it. Without his ki, these creatures had the advantage. He watched in barely suppressed anxiety as the sand and dust that kicked up from his hard landing cloaked Diago's form. Vegeta never liked losing sight of a potential enemy, and with the warning Marlo had sent them off with; he wasn't sure how Diago would receive them.

"What business do you have with me? For your sake, I hope it is of great importance. My time is valuable." Diago growled as he slowly emerged from the cloud of dust. He shook the debris from his grizzled fur before lumbering over to stand before Vegeta. He eyed the two Saiyajins carefully as he awaited their response.

Vegeta maintained his position on the rocky soil as Diago intentionally invaded his personal space. The air was suffocating, and he could feel the tension mounting. Diago was getting increasingly impatient as the seconds ticked by in silence. The agitated way his tail lashed the air made it very clear. Vegeta's eye twitched.

"Actually it's of extreme importance, and is an extremely sensitive matter, Diago. It has to do with a Loupgaru named Bulma. That's all I'll say till we can find somewhere private to talk." Vegeta said, not feeling completely comfortable talking about their predicament out in the open.

Diago's eyes narrowed with concern at the mention of the former princess; something was not right, and he intended to find out what it was. He was more than surprised at the fact that the two creatures somehow knew one of the last of their kind, and for once he was willing to trust the two outsiders enough to offer them shelter within the walls of his stronghold. The caverns within were like a maze. In the past, any intruder who attempted to breach their walls had, either lost their way and died, or were killed by his men. He smirked at the thought, causing the two Saiyajins to shift uncomfortably. Diago became serious once again as a clap of lightening rang through the dark sky.

"The storm is getting worse, and I fear you may not survive the harsh climate change without provisions, and fresh masks. Quickly, we haven't much time before the sands reach this place. Follow me." Diago gestured with his head for the two to follow him as he turned back towards the mountain's face. He climbed the mountains face quickly and effortlessly, and only once he reached the mouth of the cave, did he turn to see how his two "guests" were fairing. Their inability to use their ki on his planet seemed to have them at a disadvantage, but he admitted to himself they were a tenacious and hardy breed. They were strong, and seemed honorable.

'I guess we'll see.' Diago thought to himself as he watched the taller of the two slip on a rock, effectively pummeling the elder in the face with the falling rocks and debris.

"WATCH WHERE THE FUCK YOU'RE GOING KAKKAROT, BEFORE I PUT A BOOT UP YOUR ASS!" Vegeta roared as he shook the dirt from his hair and face.

Goku looked down with a sheepish expression, and laughed nervously. "Gee, sorry Vegeta, I slipped."

"Grrrr, just keep moving you idiot. I don't feel like clinging to this formation any longer than necessary." Vegeta sighed. He didn't know why he even bothered to waste his breath.

Diago rolled his eyes in what appeared to be amusement before turning to one of his pack mates who had decided to join him at their cave's entrance.

"What do you think, Roamer?" Diago asked, gesturing with his head to the struggling Saiyajins below.

Roamer was completely white with dark blue eyes, a sharp contrast to his leader's dark coloring with light eyes. He was slighter in size and stature, but also possessed an air of confidence that came with the experience of battle, and had a few scars of his own. He craned his neck for a better look, and cocked his head back and forth as he deliberated. Once he appeared to have reached a decision, he flattened his ears and looked at his leader.

"They're not climbing fast enough, well, the younger one isn't. Unfortunately the older one seems to have the responsibility of ensuring the younger's safety. We should help them if you want their company." He said confidently.

Diago nodded in agreement. "They're strong, but I'm afraid they rely too heavily on their ki wielding ability. They could benefit from our expertise. Come, let's give them a hand." Diago smirked as he made the first move.

The two Loupgaru emerged from the cave's entrance; catching the eye of the two Saiyajins who were stalled on the cliff.

"Hey Vegeta." Goku began. "What do you think they're up to?" He asked, looking back to the two on the cliff's edge.

Vegeta craned his neck to see around Goku's form, and watched Diago and the other, much smaller Loupgaru flex their chests. That simple movement caused two powerful wings to seemingly sprout from their backs. He stifled a gasp of amazement as the two dove from the cliff's face, and allow their wings to carry them out of sight.

"Wow, they're like dancers. Look at them go, Vegeta! They're movements are exactly the same!" Goku exclaimed, nearly falling to the ground below as he attempted to point in the direction they'd disappeared.

"My question is where the FUCK they think they're going. Come on, get a move on Kakkarot, we have to….. GGGAAAHHHHHH, WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!" vegeta was caught mid rant as he was pulled from the mountain side and into the air by an unseen force.

"Quit your struggling, or I just might drop you. Don't tempt me." Diago growled through his teeth as Vegeta's elbow connected with the left side of his head.

"Hey Vegeta, this is fun. Look, no hands. WEEEEEE" Goku laughed as Roamer came beside his leader; cargo held firmly between his teeth.

The three other members of their party all sweat dropped and either smacked their forehead or rolled their eyes in embarrassment.

"How is he still alive?" Diago grumbled around the surly Saiyajin's armor in irritation to no one in particular.

"I ask myself that same question every time he opens his mouth." Vegeta answered with a smirk.

"Hn." Diago mumbled as he picked up his pace.

The two Loupgaru deposited their cargo none too gently on the ledge of their cave before carefully landing themselves. They flapped the dust from their wings before settling them carefully on their backs; the movement effectively concealing them from view completely.

Vegeta was the first to right himself, and his deep set scowl betrayed his anger at being tossed around like a piece of trash by the beasts in front of him. He had been degraded enough for one day, and he'd be damned if he let it continue.

"Can we hurry this along? We aren't here on a social call. This is strictly business, and we have a deadline to meet." Vegeta grumbled as he dusted himself off, and removed the oxygen mask from his face.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Goku burst out suddenly; causing the two Loupgaru to nearly fall off the cliff in surprise, and Vegeta to start in surprise.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Roamer whispered to Diago in complete bafflement.

Diago cast Goku a concerned look before inclining his head towards his companion. "I have no idea, but I do wonder if it's contagious, and if we should allow him to progress any further."

Roamer nodded in complete agreement as he watched Goku roll around on the ground pointing and laughing at his prince.

Vegeta's eye immediately started twitching in irritation. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT NOW?!?!?!" He roared causing the cave to shake and dust to fall.

Goku fought down the bouts of laughter long enough to explain that the mask they were wearing had kept the area around their mouths completely clean, while the rest of their bodies was covered in the red dirt and dust that had been kicked up. He then took his mask off respectively to prove his point.

"See, it looks funny." Goku said, sporting his usual silly grin.

Roamer approached the younger saiyajin, and without saying a word swiped his face with his pristine white tail. "There, all clean." He said before moving to do the same to Vegeta.

"Don't even think about it. I'm not against ripping your tail off to spite you." Vegeta growled as he swatted the offending appendage away and wiped his face with a dirty sleeve; effectively dirtying the rest of his face.

Roamer shrugged indifferently as he looked to Diago for his instructions.

"Follow me. There's a common room deeper within the cave. We can discuss business there. Oh, and make sure not to get lost. You may just wind up staying wherever you land. I refuse to go hunting for you down here. There are way too many caverns, and as I said before my time is valuable." Diago warned as he turned and stalked down a corridor that until that moment had been encased in shadows.

Vegeta and Goku watched as Roamer stood by the entrance, and motioned for them to enter with his head. They complied, Vegeta leading the way, and once they entered, Roamer followed suit.

"Hey Vegeta, why did they make us walk in the middle. I feel like a criminal or something." Goku whined.

"Because they don't trust us, idiot. They're seasoned warriors, and they know better than to let their guard down around anyone. I'm surprised you've made it this long without being sent off planet. How you dodged the draft as an infant I'll never know. Now, be quiet." Vegeta ordered in a harsh whisper as they made their way along the pitch black tunnels. He was glad that saiyajins were blessed with the ability to see in the dark, and he assumed by the way Diago navigated his way thought the various caverns that Loupgaru could as well. He was starting to become increasingly interested in this new race of being. The fact that they were a sister race to his own spurred his curiosity.

They came to a halt just outside a large cavern. Light pooled around the mouth and danced across Diago's features causing him to look even more of a threat than he already did. The two Saiyajins could hear a multitude of other voices echoing from inside the cavern, and momentarily wondered how many other Loupgaru were confined to these caves. They watched as Diago motioned with his head for them to follow, but only Vegeta caught the warning glint in his eyes. One wrong move, and they were in a world of hurt. This was Diago's territory, and he wasn't about to test the already edgy beast with a bluff.

"Do not make eye contact with any of the others. They will take it as a challenge, and want to fight. The tension has been running a little high around here, and most of these men are just looking for a reason to brawl. Just follow Diago." Roamer warned as the two stepped into the light.

All eyes fell on the two Saiyajins at the entrance to the cavern. Over a dozen other Loupgaru of various shapes, sizes, and colors were strewn across the large expanse. Silence fell, and the only sound was of their boots against the smooth rocky ground, and the faint pitter pat of the two mobile Loupgaru's massive paws as they made their way across the middle of the cavern to a smaller less conspicuous out cropping of rocks in a secluded part of the cavern. Once they were out of sight, the Loupgaru seemed to all but snap out of their trance, and resume their prior business.

Vegeta growled low in his throat as one brave Loupgaru sitting at a table stuck his foot out and tripped Goku; sending him toppling onto the floor. The whole table of males erupted in laughter, and Goku made the mistake of turning over and glaring at the male who had tripped him.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice. What did I do to you?!?" Goku exclaimed while rubbing his bruised nose with his forearm.

The Dusty Blue Loupgaru with two different color eyes glared at him then. The grin on his face suddenly morphed into a sneer of contempt. He sprung from his chair so fast that it was sent sailing across the room only to shatter against the rock wall like it was made of sticks.

"What was that monkey?" The Loupgarou growled in such a way that Goku was momentarily stunned into silence.

Goku suddenly felt compelled to look around the room, and belatedly realized his mistake. The entire room of men suddenly began to change into their Loupgaru forms, and even he couldn't help but notice his sorry situation.

Goku's second mistake was to take his eyes off the Loupgaru in front of him, even for the short moment it took to look around the room. That was all the time it took for the Loupgaru to transform and head butt him into the far wall; where he landed with a resounding thud.

"Aww, what's the matter two legger? Having some trouble getting up? Here, let me help you." The Loupgaru said as he reared, intending to bring both his front paws down on Goku's neck. However, mid air, he was stalled when his paws came to rest on an armor clad chest. His eyes widened when he was greeted with the sadistic smirk of the smaller male Saiyajin.

"Not today mutt. If it's a fight you want, I'll gladly give you one. If anyone is going to beat Kakkarot senseless, it's going to be me. Now, let's see what you've got." Vegeta growled as he settled into a fighting stance.

"Get em Strider! Tear his throat out!" The other Loupgaru cheered as the two fighters circled each other; daring the other to make the first move.

The sound of the other Loupgaru cheering the aggressor on caught Roamer's attention, and he frowned in agitation when he turned to see the young Saiyajin's plight. He had warned them, but somehow he knew this young whelp would cause problems. However, he hadn't expected the other Saiyajin to join in so readily. He gave a short grunt in Diago's direction, and motioned with his head toward the fight when Diago turned a questioning eye to his comrade.

"It looks like we have a fight on our hands, Diago. Should I intervene?" Roamer stated more than asked as he watched in rapt amusement as Vegeta football tackled Strider into the table causing it to shatter under their combined weight.

Diago shook his head, a negative, and cast Roamer a knowing look that was immediately reciprocated. Both were eager to see how well a Saiyajin could fight a Loupgaru on their own turf. The two races were tightly interlaced, and it was rare to see the two go head to head in battle.

"My money is on Strider. The Saiyajin has spirit, but his anger blinds him." Roamer laughed merrily. He was well aware of Striders abilities, and up till the table incident he had merely been sparring with Vegeta.

"I'll take that bet. You'll owe me a small fortune, my friend. The Saiyajin is holding back as well. I believe he is enjoying the fight as much as Strider. I actually think this will end better than you think." Diago mused.

The two fighters finally reached a point of exhaustion, and Roamer swore in defeat as Strider called the fight. Vegeta stood square to Strider and extended his hand to the fallen warrior; acknowledging his strength.

"Thanks friend. What is your name Saiyajin?" Strider asked once he was righted on his feet.

"I am Vegeta. Prince of the Saiyajin's, and that idiot is Kakkarot." Vegeta grunted in amusement. His opinion of the Loupgaru had improved with his little bout. It seems that they were bonded by battle the same as Saiyajin's.

Strider was a man of honor, and he smirked in amusement as he bowed his head in respect to Vegeta's title; thoroughly catching the Saiyajin monarch by surprise.

"HAHA, we are a race of honor and pride. We give acknowledgement to rank same as you. I feel honored to have sparred with you, Prince Vegeta. My name is Strider, Second Lieutenant of this army. It's been a while since I've gotten into a decent fight." Strider said warmly.

Vegeta nodded in respect before glaring angrily at Goku; who just laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. He may have enjoyed the fight, but the fact still remained that Goku brought trouble wherever he went.

"I hate to interrupt this tender moment ladies, but I believe you had some important business to discuss." Diago grumbled heartily; enjoying the scowl he received from Vegeta at the degrading term. He was beginning to feel more at ease around his Saiyajin counterparts, and was becoming more intrigued by their presence than annoyed. The two visitors were proving to be the shake up his pack needed. All his men seemed to be in better spirits.

Vegeta glared at Diago. He had never met someone who had openly mocked him aside from Bulma. Unfortunately for his pride the Loupgaru seemed to see him as nothing more of a threat than a normal human. He sighed in exasperation. He was Vegeta, a killer, a seasoned warrior, not some errand boy sent to entertain some foolhardy mutts for kicks. However, he couldn't help but take notice of the Loupgaru's general good nature. They enjoyed a fight like most warrior races, but they seemed to take no pleasure in them. 'They are a guardian race. They fight when the need arises, not when they feel the urge like we Saiyajin's do. That would explain a lot. These creatures are so similar, yet so different to the Saiyajin race. How could we be linked? It just doesn't make any sense.' He thought irritably as he resigned his anger for the time being. It was no use to start a fight of trivial words. Judging from the smirk on Diago's face, it was meant as a joke anyway.

"Fine, have it your way. Shall we continue on?" Vegeta growled.

Goku scratched his head awkwardly. He hadn't meant to start a fight, but somehow he couldn't help but feel the little scrap seemed to improve their standing with the whole pack. He looked around and his grin widened. All the Loupgaru seemed very interested in them. One brave little pup scampered up to him, and sat at his feet; tail wagging.

"Hi! What's your name little fella?" Goku chortled, merrily.

The little pup, upon hearing Goku's booming voice, spooked. He jumped, then ran to hide behind what Goku assumed to be a very amused father. He couldn't help but wonder why these creatures were hiding out. They seemed strong enough. What were they hiding from.

"Diago. Why are you and your pack hiding out in this remote area? Don't you have a home on some other planet?" Goku asked bluntly.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in a silent warning to Goku when he saw Diago tense, and a darker look cloud his once friendly face.

"Silence fool. Know your place." Vegeta growled out in a tight whisper. He knew that one more word from Goku on the matter would seal their fate. Diago's rage was palpable, and Vegeta knew the feeling all too well.

Diago turned suddenly; almost knocking Goku on his tail had his reflexes not been so finely honed. The guttural growl that emerged from deep within Diago's chest left not only the two Saiyajins, but the rest of the Loupgaru pack, including Roamer in a state of trepidation.

"We are not HIDING!!" Diago finally ground out; nearly roaring the final word. His tail lashing back and forth, his teeth gnashing, and his ears tightly tucked against his head in anger, Diago belatedly realized the state of panic he had rendered his pack to, and immediately calmed.

"If you must know the story, then sit. It may in fact aid you on your journey." Diago ordered motioning toward two chairs that had magically become vacant.

Goku nodded his head in agreement as he shouldered a reluctant Vegeta into taking a seat. Vegeta had some idea of what happened; Bulma's dreams had shown him parts, but Diago was there. He had to have more information. There were so many pieces to the puzzle, and Vegeta was not a very patient man. He was a man of action, and sitting on his ass listening to the story of their lives was not something he wanted to do. He absently fingered the strap on Bardock's satchel, and briefly wondered what would happen if he just stabbed one of the weaker Loupgaru with the needle before dismissing it entirely. He wasn't suicidal, yet.

"We Loupgaru are a race that is founded on a heigherarchy of strength. The strongest male, and the strongest female rule as the Alpha Male/Alpha Female. As a side note, all male Loupgaru are naturally stronger and much larger than our female counterparts. This is mainly because Loupgaru births render the females defenseless, and the males must protect their females from any and all harm. Females will generally only give birth to one pup in their lifetime, and many die during the birthing. Male loupgaru are known to go without food, water and sleep for days to watch over their mates. If the female dies, the male will usually die of heartbreak from the separation. It is in the birthing season that males and females may challenge one another for a higher place in the pack. This ensures only the strongest males and females may reproduce. In the event that a stronger male or female emerges from the pack, and wishes to challenge the Alpha, they are permitted to do so, however, the rules state that the loser of the fight must be killed. If, for example the challenger wins, and one of the Alpha mates die or are challenged and defeated by another member of the pack, the winner takes the Alpha position; unless there is a whelp between the two." Diago began, but was interrupted by Goku.

"What's a whelp?" Goku interjected. Vegeta merely pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment, while the pack face vaulted.

Diago's eye twitched in irritation before he sighed and continued his explanation. "A whelp is a Loupgaru pup. If the Alpha pair have a child, and one of the Alpha are defeated, the whelp can challenge the aggressor for the Alpha position after their sire or dam is defeated; no matter what gender. However, if the whelp loses, their fate is left to the new Alpha.

"Diago. If the Alpha female is challenged and killed, and their whelp is female; what the fuck do you do then, inbreed?" Vegeta asked in disgust.

A hearty chuckle was his reward. "No. That is not how we do things. If the whelp wins, no matter what gender, they are required to relinquish their Alpha title to another of the remaining Alpha's choosing. It is a constant battle for status among our kind. No two Loupgaru hold the same status within the pack. I know this is all a lot to take in, but it really isn't that hard to understand once I explain what happened all those years ago." Diago explained once he noticed the confused expressions he was receiving from his two guests. Vegeta seemed to be wrapping his head around the ideas, but Goku looked as lost as ever. Despite this, Diago continued.

"Now, here is where the plot thickens. Have you ever heard of a race called humans?"

Author's Note: I KNOW, I KNOW!!! This chapter has been on my computer for months, but I just couldn't snap myself out of the writer's block I have. I hate this chapter, but I wanted to at least let you all know that I intend to finish this one. Also, since one of my favorite authors, Vladgurl, just updated her story "Everything Went Wrong." Recently… I felt the need to keep my word. So, read, review, and let me know what you think.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Inner Workings Of The Mind

Author's Note: Ya, My last chapter really sucked… sorry for that. I'm really trying on this one. I just can't seem to get the same flow that I had before. I'm still stuck in this writer's block. I haven't even attempted to touch my other fic. Because of it, and I'm getting a lot of complaints. Unfortunately I ended up taking it down so I could finish it completely and post it that way. Please don't be mad. I'm sorry. I just bit off more than I could swallow my first go round. I really hope this chapter is better for ya. So, without further ado!

Her head hurt, and she was still recovering from the heavy sedatives she'd been doped with. Seeing all her friends, and more specifically the aloof Saiyajin Prince, had brightened her day. She knew her instinctual side had forbidden her to interact with them in the way her rational mind would have liked, but she couldn't blame her other self for her hesitation. It was her people's nature to be wary of those outside the pack, and the only person she had unintentionally extended that privilege to was, Vegeta. When she had killed Lauri; it had been her instinctual drive to protect herself, and what she believed to be a member of her pack. It was pure instinct, nothing more, and nothing less. He was stronger than she, and in the normal flow of things according to her pack instincts; a stronger male meant protection for her and any of her potential offspring. An alliance would be idea. As far as her current situation was concerned, it was not as some would assume, another conscious being roaming around in her head dictating to her what she could and could not do. It was her simple instinct to survive. Her instincts drove her to find a strong enough male to take care of her, and their prior bout had been enough proof that Vegeta was that male.

'What is wrong with me? This shouldn't be happening.' Bulma huffed through her muzzle in indignation. She was well aware of the way she had treated every person since she had been taken to the gardens, but any actions she had taken prior to that was a complete bank. The taste of blood on her tongue reminded her that she had bitten Vegeta, and killed Lauri, but she was unsure of the outcome in regards to the other persons involved. The Loupgaru rage was something she thought had been bred out of her line. Apparently she had been wrong.

She stretched out on her blanket, and inhaled deep. The smell of the garden's flowers overwhelming her senses, and setting her at peace. It took her back to her home world, before the war, and before her life had turned all pear shaped. She wondered if they would ever be able to make her whole, and if she would ever be given the chance to right the wrongs brought upon her people by the recklessness of her choice in friends. Sighing once again, Bulma curled up on her blanket and fell into a restless sleep.

Dream:

The sounds of war rang in her ears. The smell of blood and gunpowder assaulted her nose as she ran through the battlefield; hurtling over dead bodies with ease. She flew over bunkers, and dodged the bullets and ki blasts that seemed to fly around her; her tail standing tall and erect as a flag for her people. She knew something was wrong. Rathan had sent her father's strongest warriors somewhere to the north, away from the front line leaving the rest to fend off the Cold army without a hope of victory. There had to be something amiss. Diago was her oldest and dearest friend, and the rest of the small band of males that were missing were her closest pack mates. They were loyal to her father, and would never follow Rathan's orders if it meant leaving a battle unless the true threat lie somewhere else. She knew following the group might get her killed, but she would rather die with her pack, than the grubby human's any day. In contempt she purposefully squashed the head of a human corpse after hurtling a bunker, and relished as the brain matter squished between her clawed toes.

She growled low at the thought of the traitorous human who had polluted the mind of her father's second in command with the notions of power and wealth.

"Yaumcha. Damn you to the seventh circle of hell!" She roared. She remembered. They had found the man half dead in the desert, and brought him to the castle to heal and rest. She had taken a liking to the strange male, and quickly made friends with him. The two would take long walks around the city, play games, and talk. She dared to even think herself in love with the male at one point, but he was merely deceiving her. While they were unaware Yaumcha had been using his powers of persuasion on her father's second in command. He had tricked Rathan into killing her parents, and assuming the throne in order to form a treaty with the Cold Empire for a share of the wealth. She had barely escaped death herself by some strange twist of fate. As much as she wanted to believe Rathan was as evil as his actions led others to believe; she could not. He had also been one of her pack mates, and she had grown up under his close observation as a pup. He had been kind and gentle back then. The Rathan she knew now was a byproduct of the human's influence, and she hated Yaumcha even more for corrupting her friend. However, she was not naive enough to believe that Rathan was not at fault. He had chosen his path, and she wouldn't hesitate to bring him down; not after the pain he'd caused, and the war that he brought down on their people. Even if he had been "kind" enough to spare her life it still didn't change anything. She had been sent off to live outside the city for nearly ten years, and once the battle spilled into her territory, it was impossible for her to ignore her people's cries any longer. Her pack mates, despite threats of death, came to her on occasion; bringing her food and clothing, and offering her kinship and anything she needed. Diago was supposed to be her mate when she came of age, and was old enough to take the throne, but as the years flew by he became more like a doting older brother than a soon to be lover. They both knew their bond was not one of romantic love, but of a strong, albeit odd friendship, and that was what drove her to push her body to its limits in order to find the only Loupgaru' that had remained by her side throughout the long years of isolation. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

As she flew through the forest, and began her slow rise into the mountains where the pack had stopped she caught the scent of blood, and nearly cried out when the sounds of a female Loupgaru rang out from the other side.

"Lyca!" She roared out as she burst through the tree line. An older male cocked his ears back; the only sign he had heard her. His eyes were trained on the purple lizard who currently had Lyca pinned to the ground in a bloody heap. Her beautiful white fur matted with blood and earth. Blood was pouring from a huge gash just under her muzzle, and Bulma cried out in horror when she realized it was too late to save her friend. Lyca was already bled out.

"Hmm? What have we here? My, My aren't you a pretty little thing. I don't believe I've seen a Loupgaru with such unique coloring before. Tell me, what is your name, and rank little one." The Lizard hissed in what she assumed was an attempt at sweetness as he beckoned her nearer with a dainty hand. She knew better, and immediately moved closer to Diago so their bodies were flush side by side, and bared her teeth in warning.

"My name Bulma, and I am the daughter of Cannan, Alpha of this pack." Bulma stated boldly as she watched the life slip from Lyca's eyes. She was dead.

Noticing where her stare was, Frieza looked down upon the creature he had been using as a foot rest. "Oh, terrible shame, I do believe she's dead. She put up a nice fight, but really, not much of one if you ask me. Oh well, she'll make a nice rug for the den when she's all cleaned up. Hahaha!"

That was all it took. Bulma snapped in a fit of blind rage, and charged Frieza; totally disregarding Diago's cry for her to stop.

CRACK!

"YELP"!

Bulma was struck down by Frieza's tail just short of ripping his throat out. She righted herself almost instantly, and attacked again, and again, and again, only to receive the same punishment. Blood poured out of ever gash that was left in the wake of Frieza's attacks, and she fell to the ground exhausted from her efforts, and blood loss.

"My, My, you are a strong willed little Bitch. Too bad you have to die!" Frieza chuckled, as he powered up a tiny ki ball on the tip of his finger.

Bulma's eyes widened in fear as she struggled to stand, but she wasn't fast enough, nor did she possess the strength needed to absorb the attack. She watched as the pink energy ball headed her way, and wondered briefly if she would see her parents again. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

The blast never came. She cracked open an eye to see a dark blue paw. Knowing immediately who saved her Bulma stretched out her nose, and licked the back of Diago's hind leg as way of gratitude. He let out a low soft rumble that shook his whole body as way of acknowledgement.

"How touching." Frieza mocked before launching into the air. "Now, no more playing around. You die now!"

The ki blasts rained down on their heads, and Diago was quick to cover Bulma's prone form with his much larger body; using his massive wings to absorb as many of the ki blasts that came their way. The other Loupgaru did the same in hopes of defending themselves against the tyrant. The more ki he threw at them the more injuries they would be able to inflict.

Bulma now felt foolish for letting her anger get the better of her, and not only putting herself in danger, but her pack mates as well. She lifted her head and lightly began licking Diago's chest. He looked down and his eyes softened. He understood her apology, and gently licked the side of her head in reassurance. All was forgiven. Her tail wagged lazily hitting either of his hind legs, and Digao shivered at the contact. Despite their close friendship neither could deny the odd sort of relationship that had formed. They were almost like former lovers who had decided their relationship would be best platonic. They loved each other, but knew it would never work out. Still, despite that, Diago couldn't help his attraction to her, and his body's reaction to her proximity. Despite everything, he would protect her from the universe, and make sure she found herself the perfect mate, even if he wasn't it. He growled low in his throat as a particularly large ki blast sent a tingle down his back, and raised his head to stare at the small lizard as he finally stopped his assult.

"Are you quite finished? We were getting bored down here." Diago chided, a small smirk forming on his muzzle, when he noticed the look of surprise on Frieza's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you not informed? We loupgaru are a guardian race. Therefore we have certain physical attributes that correspond with our genetic programming. Here, allow us to demonstrate." He growled as he nodded to the rest of the pack.

Frieza watched in rapt fascination as the Loupgaru began to glow, but his fascination soon turned to fury when he realized what the little shits were capable of. He had not been prepared for what he was seeing. Apparently Loupgaru possessed the ability to absorb large amounts of ki with their fur, and return it full force. He'd let out more than enough energy to destroy the pesky mutts, but unfortunately wasn't too keen on receiving what was dished out.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Frieza chuckled as he rose higher into the air in order to draw their attacks away from his mother ship. Heaven forbid it be damaged.

The group let out a collective howl of rage as they released all the pent up ki at the now air born lizard. Bulma watched in morbid fascination as a large cloud engulfed Friezas body. Soon the sounds of firing ki stopped, and there was nothing left to do, but wait.

"Do you think it was enough?" Bulma whispered as she nestled herself further into Diago's body. She watched as his eyes narrowed, obviously contemplating her question.

"No." Was his curt reply, and the hope that had slowly been building in her chest shattered.

Frieza's laughter cut through the smoke, causing a tremor of trepidation to run through each of the warriors standing below. There was no way to defeat Frieza without an overabundance of ki, and Loupgaru were not equipped to utilize such power. He was too strong for them physically, and even Bulma's speed was no match. Diago's eyes shot to the small female lying immobile under him, and sighed. He knew what had to be done.

"Get out of here. We can hold him off. We are all that is left of our people." Diago growled in her ear.

"I'm not going to leave you. You're all I have left. I will fight, and if need be, die with my pack." Bulma growled back, nipping Diago's ear for emphasis.

Not being in a position where an argument was appropriate, Diago reached down, and none to gently picked her up by the scruff of her neck and tossed her back into the brush.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Bulma. If you try to fight, I'll be forced to take you out myself. Go. We will meet up later. I promise." Diago raged as he flashed his fangs at her.

Bulma's eyes widened in fear. Diago had never treated her the way he had, and he most certainly had never threatened harm. She was to afraid to do anything besides obey, so, she ran. She ran as fast as she could back to the valley where the battle was being fought, and prayed that things were going better down there. The sounds of the Elite guards battling the tiny purple lizard fading with each stride.

"Please be ok, please be ok." Bulma chanted in her mind as she ran, tears streaming down her face and wetting her fur.

She stopped when she reached the tree line, and let out a roar of rage. There, amongst the dead bodies, and destroyed land, the Cold soldiers were leading her people, and what was left of the human armies into the docking ship. She took one step back into the tree line, and turned to run, but a twig snapped behind her, and all she saw was darkness.

End Dream:

"RAAARRRRGGGHHH" Bulma sat up with a jolt. Her head spinning at the terrible memories that flashed through her mind. She had let her pack down, she was the last of her kind, and to top it off she was messed up in the head with no hope of ever being right again.

"What am I going to do?" She raged as she began to take her frustration out of the tree holding her in place. Unfortunately for Bulma, she didn't realize that all her noise had attracted the attention of a certain Saiyajin King. He observed her thrashings, and the medical bag that was laid just out of her reach.

"Bardock!" The king exclaimed to himself. Answers were in order, and he was an expert at extracting them. He would get the old scientist to talk if it was the last thing he did.

As the king made his way down the long corridors he failed to notice the lone figure hiding behind a pillar just to the right of the gardens entrance. She let out a gasp, and ran as fast as her legs could carry her to Bardock's personal chambers. He and Bulma were no longer safe where they were, and Chi Chi could only hope and pray Goku and Vegeta were doing ok.

Author's Note: Oh no! The king has found out about Bulma's condition, what is going to happen to her? What is the Loupgaru rage? Will Vegeta and Goku find the cure in time, and have all their questions answered? Will Chi Chi and Bardock be able to escape the king's wrath? Find out, REVIEW!!


End file.
